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Selected:Failure Mode and Effects AnalysisCausal Factor AnalysisRoot Cause Tree AnalysisRoot Cause Analysis
| Criterion |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Operations Root Cause 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. | 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. | 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. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tags1 shared | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |