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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis | ![]() Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis | ![]() Decision Making Decision Tree | ![]() Operations Kepner-Tregoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 30-90 min | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 1-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | DecisionTreeOptions | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |



