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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Decision Making Delphi Method |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 knowledge is distributed and direct dominance should be avoided, groups quickly fall under the sway of their opinion leaders. The Delphi Method gathers assessments iteratively and gradually brings expert judgments closer together. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 1-4 Wochen | 2-6 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 6-30 Experten | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Expert Forecast, Consensus Range, Assumption Notes | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | ForecastingExpertsDecisionStrategy | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |