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Selected:Assumption SurfacingLASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)5 WhysFailure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional | 15-30 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people | 2-6 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Lean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checks | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |