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| Criterion |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 20–45 min | 1-3 h | 2-6 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | Small cross-functional group | 2-8 | 3-10 | 2-6 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |