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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 2-6 h | 30-90 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | 1-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | DecisionTreeOptions | Root causeQualityOperations |