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| Criterion |  Operations Barrier Analysis |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 2-6 h | 15-30 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions |
Tags1 shared | Root causeSafetyIncident | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline |