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| Criterion |  Decision Making PERT Estimation |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | On complex initiatives, a plain average tends to understate just how uncertain the outcome really is. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a PERT Estimate, Expected Value, and Risk Notes. | 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. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 2-6 h | 30-60 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | PERT Estimate, Expected Value, Risk Notes | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | EstimationUncertaintyRisk | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Root causeQualityOperations | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |