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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations Learning Review |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Root Cause 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. | After a project phase with mixed results, the method makes learning from the individual case reusable. It connects events, decisions, and systemic conditions into robust insights. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 2-6 h | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Learning Review Notes, System Factors, Improvement Actions | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | LearningRetrospectiveIncidentOperations | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |