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| Criterion |  Innovation TRIZ |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 2-6 h | 45-90 min | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | 2-5 | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Contradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |