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| Criterion |  Operations Barrier Analysis |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. | 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. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-10 | 1-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeSafetyIncident | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | SensemakingDecisionRationale | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |