View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion | ![]() Operations Fishbone Diagram | ![]() Operations Family Tree Analysis | ![]() Operations Root Cause Tree 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. | For a series of incidents with a similar pattern, the method arranges individual events as branches of a common origin. It makes visible which conditions keep recurring. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 2-4 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Family Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic Measures | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tags1 shared | Root causeQualityOperations | Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |
Often compared together
Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.






