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Selected:Assumption MappingRoot Cause AnalysisRoot Cause Tree AnalysisFailure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 45-60 min | 1-4 h | 1-3 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |