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| Criterion |  Operations Process Mapping |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With a confusing workflow that has many handoffs, the method makes the actual process visible. It shows where work is passed on, delayed, or duplicated, so improvement targets the right spots. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | 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 a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 15-30 min | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ProcessOperationsImprovement | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |