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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations Fault Tree Analysis |  Product Discovery Riskiest Assumption Test |  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. | For a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage. | When an idea hinges on one critical unknown, it prioritizes testing that exact piece of uncertainty first. It separates problem, assumption, solution, and evidence. The result is captured as a prioritized list of assumptions, a test plan, and a result report. | 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 | 2-6 h | 1-2 Wochen pro Iteration | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 2-6 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions | Prioritized Assumption List, Test Plan, Results Report | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | RiskRoot causeSafety | ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryAssumptions | Root causeSafetyIncident |