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| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Facilitation Six Thinking Hats |  Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | 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 topic gets stuck too quickly in the same thinking mode, Six Thinking Hats deliberately separates the perspectives. This means facts, risks, creativity, and emotional signals get worked through one after another instead of mixed together. | 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 | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 2-6 h | 45-90 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 3-10 | 4-12 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Perspective Notes, Decision Inputs, Action Items | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionTreeOptions | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | FacilitationOptionsDecision | Root causeSafetyIncident |