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| Criterion |  Decision Making Risk Matrix |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a project faces many possible disruptions, it quickly becomes unclear which risks deserve attention first. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Risk Matrix and a Top Risk List. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 30-90 min | 15-30 min | 20–45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-6 | Small cross-functional group |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Risk Matrix, Top Risk List | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log |
Tagsno overlap | RiskDecisionPrioritizationAssessment | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning |