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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. | 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 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High | High |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 30-60 min | 2-6 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | Root causeQualityOperations | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |