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| Criterion |  Agile Bucket System |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Facilitation Dot Estimation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a large batch of work needs a fast, rough estimate, it sorts items into predefined size buckets. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as a Bucketed Backlog, Relative Estimates, and Split Candidates. | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | 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 size or effort can only be estimated roughly, Dot Estimation condenses the group's experience into a quick range. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as an Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, and Discussion Targets. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 30-90 min | 20–45 min | 5-20 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 1-6 | Small cross-functional group | 3-20 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Bucketed Backlog, Relative Estimates, Split Candidates | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, Discussion Targets |
Tagsno overlap | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing | DecisionTreeOptions | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | EstimationEffortRisk |