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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Operations ALPEN Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When there is uncertainty about the real course of a process, the method brings observation to the place where work happens. It combines perception, follow-up questions, and process knowledge so decisions rest on actual workflows instead of assumptions. | In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures. | 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. | With an overloaded day full of too many tasks, a realistic picture of the day emerges. The method connects estimating, deciding, and buffer thinking so planning fits available energy and time. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 20–45 min | 30-90 min | 10-20 min daily |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | Small cross-functional group | 1-6 | 1 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | DecisionTreeOptions | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations |