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| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 45-90 min | 2-6 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 2-8 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionTreeOptions | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |