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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Innovation Contradiction Analysis |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When a system should improve while another measure suffers as a result, the method makes the underlying conflict precisely formulable. It separates the desired effect from its side effect. This makes solutions possible that address the contradiction deliberately instead of half-heartedly. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 60-120 min | 2-6 h | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Contradiction Statement, Abstraction Notes, Solution Principles, Concept Ideas | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | ContradictionsInnovationProblem solving | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |