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| Criterion |  Operations Waste Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a process that keeps people busy but creates little value, the method exposes waste. It directs attention to unnecessary movement, waiting times, rework, and overdelivery. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 1-4 h | 2-6 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-8 | 3-10 | 2-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Waste Map, Prioritized Waste, Improvement Backlog | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | WasteLeanProcess improvement | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |