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| Criterion | ![]() Knowledge Modeling Competency Questions | ![]() Operations 5 Whys | ![]() Operations Root Cause Analysis | ![]() Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Competency Questions translate a domain model into concrete questions that it must be able to answer. The method keeps the model's scope clean and prevents pretty but useless structures. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 15-30 min | 1-4 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-6 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Competency Question Set, Required Concepts, Test Queries, Coverage Matrix | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | OntologyKnowledge graphScopeRequirementsSemantic | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeSafetyIncident |



