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Selected:Fishbone DiagramCurrent Reality TreeFailure Mode and Effects AnalysisCausal Factor Analysis
| Criterion |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | 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 a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | 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 | Low | High | High | High |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 2-6 h | 2-6 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-8 | 3-10 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions |
Tags1 shared | Root causeQualityOperations | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline |