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Criterion
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
Paper illustration for 8D Problem Solving.
Operations
8D Problem Solving
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Kepner-Tregoe
Operations
Kepner-Tregoe
Purposedifferent
Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it.For an acute quality or delivery problem, the method structures immediate protection and root cause work together. It keeps the situation stable while the actual cause is investigated cleanly.ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation.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
LowHighHighHigh
Timedifferent
45-90 min1-6 WochenSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope2-8 h
Participantsdifferent
2-84-10Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders2-8
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action PlanPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsProblem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan
Tagsno overlap
AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery
QualityProblem solvingRoot cause
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations
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