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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations Bottleneck Analysis |  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. | When delivery work dissolves into wait times, handoffs, and hidden effort, Value Stream Mapping makes the actual flow visible. The method exposes bottlenecks, idle time, and feedback loops so lead time and improvement levers become tangible. | For a flow that backs up at one point, the method looks for the capacity limit with the greatest leverage. It explains why extra effort elsewhere barely improves throughput. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-10 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Family Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic Measures |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | FlowMeasurementConstraints | Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic |