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| Criterion |  Operations Fault Tree Analysis |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage. | 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. | The TOWS Matrix connects internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats into action-oriented strategies. It goes a step further than a pure stocktaking. | In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 30-90 min | 1-2 h | 20–45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 | Small cross-functional group |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log |
Tagsno overlap | RiskRoot causeSafety | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | StrategyAnalysisOptions | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning |