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| Criterion | ![]() Facilitation Dot Estimation | ![]() Facilitation Expectation Mapping | ![]() Agile Affinity Estimation | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When roles, interfaces, or projects fail because of differing expectations, Expectation Mapping surfaces these differences. It shows what each side takes for granted and where the pictures diverge. | When many tasks need to be classified quickly, it sorts them by perceived effort and similarity. It reduces the effort of fine-grained estimation for large volumes. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 5-20 min | 45-90 min | 30-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 | 3-12 | 3-12 | 4-12 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, Discussion Targets | Expectation Map, Alignment Notes, Agreements | Affinity Size Map, Grouped Estimates, Unclear Items | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | EstimationEffortRisk | AlignmentStakeholdersTeam | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |



