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Criterion
A3 Problem-Solving workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
A3 Problem Solving
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
Paper illustration of a calm four-quadrant Assumption Map with hypothesis cards and emphasis on important assumptions with little evidence.
Product Discovery
Assumption Mapping
Paper illustration for Kepner-Tregoe
Operations
Kepner-Tregoe
Purposedifferent
For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together.In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures.When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first.For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowMediumHigh
Timedifferent
45-90 min20–45 min45-60 min2-8 h
Participantsdifferent
2-5Small cross-functional group2-82-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause AnalysisRisk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption logAssumption map, Test backlog, Risk rankingProblem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan
Tagsno overlap
LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation
Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations
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