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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations MORT Analysis |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Operations Family Tree 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 safety-relevant event or a system with high protection requirements, the method examines where controls failed. It exposes both technical and organizational gaps. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | Mehrere Tage bis Wochen | 45–90 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-6 | 3-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | MORT Worksheets, Findings per Branch, Corrective Actions, Systemic Recommendations | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Family Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic Measures |
Tags1 shared | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Root causeSafetySystemicIncident | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic |