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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree | ![]() Operations Causal Factor Analysis | ![]() Operations MORT Analysis | ![]() Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 2-6 h | Mehrere Tage bis Wochen | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-10 | 2-6 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | MORT Worksheets, Findings per Branch, Corrective Actions, Systemic Recommendations | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tags1 shared | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Root causeSafetySystemicIncident | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |



