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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Systems Thinking Stock and Flow Diagram |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | A Stock and Flow Diagram shows how stocks, inflows, and outflows shape a system over time. It is especially suited when growth, delays, or capacity limits determine the dynamics. | 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 | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 2-6 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Stock and Flow Model, Dynamics Notes, Simulation Hypotheses | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | DynamicsSimulationFeedbackSystems thinking | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |
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