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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis | ![]() Operations Causal Factor Analysis | ![]() DevOps Blameless Postmortem | ![]() Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | 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. | After an incident with damage or a near miss, the method creates a sober field for learning without assigning blame. It directs attention to the course of events, conditions, and effective countermeasures. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 2-6 h | 30-90 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-10 | 3-12 | 2-6 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Postmortem Doc, Action Items, Timeline | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Site Reliability EngineeringIncidentLearningReliability | Root causeSafetyIncident |



