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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Decision Making Delphi Method |  Operations Family Tree Analysis |  Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For a series of incidents with a similar pattern, the method arranges individual events as branches of a common origin. It makes visible which conditions keep recurring. | 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 | High | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 1-4 Wochen | 2-4 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 6-30 Experten | 2-6 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Expert Forecast, Consensus Range, Assumption Notes | Family Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic Measures | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | ForecastingExpertsDecisionStrategy | Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic | Root causeSafetyIncident |