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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Operations MORT Analysis |  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. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | For a safety-relevant event or a system with high protection requirements, the method examines where controls failed. It exposes both technical and organizational gaps. | 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 | High |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 45–90 min | Mehrere Tage bis Wochen | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-10 | 2-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | MORT Worksheets, Findings per Branch, Corrective Actions, Systemic Recommendations | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tags1 shared | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | Root causeSafetySystemicIncident | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |