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Criterion
Paper illustration for Dot Estimation.
Facilitation
Dot Estimation
Value Stream Mapping workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Delivery
Value Stream Mapping
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Paper illustration for Ideal Days.
Agile
Ideal Days
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 delivery work dissolves into wait times, handoffs, and hidden effort, Value Stream Mapping makes the actual flow visible. The method exposes bottlenecks, idle time, and feedback loops so lead time and improvement levers become tangible.LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail.When effort needs to be thought of as real working time, it offers a simple common denominator for comparison. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as Ideal Day Estimates, Assumption Notes, and Capacity Caveats.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
5-20 min1-3 h3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional15-60 min
Participantsdifferent
3-204-101 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people2-9
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, Discussion TargetsCurrent-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck listLean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checksIdeal Day Estimates, Assumption Notes, Capacity Caveats
Tagsno overlap
EstimationEffortRisk
LeanFlowWasteDelivery
ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean
EstimationEffortAgile
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