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| Criterion |  Facilitation Timeline |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a project, incident, or change process is only remembered in fragments, Timeline brings the sequence back into a readable form. It makes turning points, precursors, and after-effects recognizable over the course of time. | 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. | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-12 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Timeline, Milestones, Insight Notes | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | TimelineFacilitationSequence | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | Root causeSafetyIncident |