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| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | 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. | 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. | 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 | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 20–45 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | Small cross-functional group | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |