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Selected:Constraint AnalysisFailure Mode and Effects AnalysisRoot Cause Tree AnalysisFishbone Diagram
| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | 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. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | Root causeQualityOperations |