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| Criterion | ![]() Business Strategy TOWS Matrix | ![]() Operations Barrier Analysis | ![]() Operations Fault Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The TOWS Matrix connects internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats into action-oriented strategies. It goes a step further than a pure stocktaking. | 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 | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 2-4 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisOptions | Root causeSafetyIncident | RiskRoot causeSafety |
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