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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis | ![]() Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis | ![]() Operations Barrier Analysis | ![]() Operations Fault Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 45-90 min | 2-4 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions |
Tagsno overlap | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | Root causeSafetyIncident | RiskRoot causeSafety |



