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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Systems Thinking Leverage Points |  Operations Barrier 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 keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | Leverage Points show exactly where interventions in a system produce a disproportionate effect. It draws relationships, patterns, and feedback loops. The result is captured as a leverage map and action strategy. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 1-4 h | Half day | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-8 | 3-12 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Leverage Map, Action Strategy | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Systems thinkingChangeStrategy | Root causeSafetyIncident |