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| Criterion |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | 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 | Low | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20–45 min | 15-30 min | 2-6 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Small cross-functional group | 2-6 | 3-10 | 2-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |