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Selected:Root Cause Tree AnalysisRiskiest Assumption TestFailure Mode and Effects AnalysisAssumption Surfacing
| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Product Discovery Riskiest Assumption Test |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When an idea hinges on one critical unknown, it prioritizes testing that exact piece of uncertainty first. It separates problem, assumption, solution, and evidence. The result is captured as a prioritized list of assumptions, a test plan, and a result report. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-2 Wochen pro Iteration | 2-6 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-6 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Prioritized Assumption List, Test Plan, Results Report | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryAssumptions | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |