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| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Decision Making Risk Matrix |  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. | When a project faces many possible disruptions, it quickly becomes unclear which risks deserve attention first. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Risk Matrix and a Top Risk List. | 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 | 30-60 min | 2-6 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Risk Matrix, Top Risk List | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionTreeOptions | RiskDecisionPrioritizationAssessment | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |