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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Operations Barrier Analysis |  Operations Fault Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Systems Mapping arranges elements, relationships, and boundaries so a complex field becomes legible at a glance. The overview stabilizes the overall picture before detail work or steering begins. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | 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. | For a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 2-4 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-8 | 2-6 | 3-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | Root causeSafetyIncident | RiskRoot causeSafety |