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| Criterion | ![]() Decision Making Pre-Mortem | ![]() Operations After-Action Review | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis | ![]() Operations 8D 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. | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | For an acute quality or delivery problem, the method structures immediate protection and root cause work together. It keeps the situation stable while the actual cause is investigated cleanly. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | High | High |
Timedifferent | 20–45 min | 20-45 min | 2-6 h | 1-6 Wochen |
Participantsdifferent | Small cross-functional group | 3-12 | 3-10 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | 8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | LearningOperationsImprovement | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | QualityProblem solvingRoot cause |



