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| Criterion |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Operations ALPEN Method |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. | 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. | 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. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-8 h | 20–45 min | 10-20 min daily | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Small cross-functional group | 1 | 2-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |