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| Criterion |  Decision Making Force Field Analysis |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In change initiatives, supporting and restraining forces sit at the table at the same time. Force Field Analysis makes these tensions explicit and shows where change can be pushed forward by strengthening or relieving. | 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 single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | 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 | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 2-6 h | 15-30 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Force Field Map, Change Levers, Risk Notes | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ChangeDecisionStrategy | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline |