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| Criterion | ![]() Decision Making Option Framing | ![]() Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis | ![]() Operations Root Cause Analysis | ![]() Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In early decisions, alternatives are often still vague, incomplete, or blended together. Option Framing brings every possibility into a comparable form and makes visible which variant actually fits the question. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 1-3 h | 1-4 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeSafetyIncident |



