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| Criterion |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Operations Standard Work Analysis |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When the same task is done differently depending on the person, the method exposes the reliable core. It creates comparability without unnecessarily choking off needed latitude. | When there is uncertainty about the real course of a process, the method brings observation to the place where work happens. It combines perception, follow-up questions, and process knowledge so decisions rest on actual workflows instead of assumptions. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 1-3 h | 30-120 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-6 | 2-6 | 2-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Standard Work Sheet, Deviation List, Improved Standard, Training Needs | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | LeanProcessQuality | LeanObservationProcessOperations | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |