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| Criterion | ![]() Decision Making Decision Tree | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis | ![]() Decision Making Constraint Analysis | ![]() Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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. | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 2-6 h | 30-90 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionTreeOptions | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | Root causeQualityOperations |



