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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Futures Wheel |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  DevOps Incident Timeline Analysis |  Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The Futures Wheel helps explore the consequences of a decision, a trend, or a strategic move in a structured way. It makes visible which first, second, and third-order effects could arise from an event. | 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 an incident with an unclear sequence, the method makes the timeline precisely visible. It separates perception, reaction, and delay so cause and effect become more clearly readable. | 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 | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 2-6 h | 60-180 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 2-6 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Incident Timeline, Evidence Log, Delay Analysis, Improvement Actions | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | IncidentTimelineSite Reliability Engineering | Root causeSafetyIncident |