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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 15-45 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1-3 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |
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