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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Fault Tree Analysis | ![]() Operations MORT Analysis | ![]() UX Research Affinity Diagramming | ![]() Operations Causal Factor Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | Mehrere Tage bis Wochen | 45–90 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-6 | 3-10 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions | MORT Worksheets, Findings per Branch, Corrective Actions, Systemic Recommendations | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions |
Tags1 shared | RiskRoot causeSafety | Root causeSafetySystemicIncident | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline |



