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Selected:After-Action ReviewFailure Mode and Effects AnalysisRoot Cause Tree AnalysisFishbone Diagram
| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | 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 problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | Root causeQualityOperations |