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| Criterion |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |  Operations ABC Analysis |  Operations Barrier Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | With many similar objects of differing economic significance, the method prioritizes effort by effect. It separates what needs regular steering from what rarely needs attention. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-8 h | 30-60 min | 2-4 h | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-5 | 2-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | ABC Classification, Focus Rules, Control List | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | PrioritizationOperationsPortfolio | Root causeSafetyIncident | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |