Turns workflows, data, causes, and improvements into a tangible result by defining the top event, collecting direct causes, and deriving critical paths and measures.
Which logical combinations of basic events lead to the undesired top event, and which minimal cut sets are critical enough to trigger action?
The method helps clarify workflows, data, causes, and improvements in a concrete way. It looks for patterns, causes, weak points, or bottlenecks and derives measures from them. The result is captured as a fault tree, critical paths, and cause hypotheses.
The team follows the steps: define the top event, collect direct causes, model AND/OR logic, check basic causes, and derive critical paths and measures. Each step is captured visibly. At the end, a fault tree, critical paths, and cause hypotheses are available so decisions, tests, or actions can follow directly.
Method sketch for a quick mental model.
The runsheet guides execution with 5 phases, timeboxes, 6 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.
Open runsheetFault Tree Analysis starts with a clearly described failure event and works backward to possible causes. Logical links show whether one cause is enough or whether several conditions must combine. That turns a vague disturbance into a testable causal tree. The tree helps identify especially critical paths and place controls more precisely.
Start with a precise top event and keep the logic between causes explicit. Work with people who know the system behavior, the process, and the failure patterns. Check every branch against evidence and avoid writing assumptions into the tree as if they were confirmed causes.
Compact working template for Fault Tree Analysis with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
What is this method used for?
Which question should be answered at the end?
Which data, observations, or materials are available?
Owner, date, and success signal.
Short decision aid for existing alternatives.
Statt Fault Tree Analysis, wenn du Ursachen in klaren Kategorien sammeln und Diskussionen strukturiert halten willst.
Statt Fault Tree Analysis, wenn du schnell mehrere mögliche Ursachen aufreißen und das Team in eine erste Ursachekette bringen willst.
Turns workflows, data, causes, and improvements into a tangible result by forming the team, describing the problem, and verifying correction and prevention.
A structured accident tree separates management controls, barriers, and events so serious incidents become auditable.
Hazards, targets, and failed barriers are mapped so controls can be strengthened at the point of exposure.
A recurring incident pattern links related cases across time so systemic causes become visible beyond one event.
Turns workflows, data, causes, and improvements into a tangible result by collecting event data, reconstructing the timeline, and deriving root causes and measures.
Turns workflows, data, causes, and improvements into a tangible result by describing the deviation, choosing a comparison case, and deriving causes and actions.