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Criterion
Visual Management workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
Visual Management
Paper illustration for Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Operations
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
Paper fishbone diagram with a measurable effect at the head and six labeled cause branches.
Operations
Fishbone Diagram
Purposedifferent
With high tempo and many parallel topics, the method makes status, deviations, and priorities visible at a glance. It reduces search effort and prevents what matters from getting lost in daily work.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.When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers.
Complexitydifferent
LowHighLowLow
Timedifferent
Ongoing2-6 h45-90 min30-60 min
Participantsdifferent
1-203-102-82-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Visual Board, Status Indicators, Exception CuesFMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation ActionsAssumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning PlanFishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog
Tagsno overlap
SignalsOperationsVisual management
RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause
AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery
Root causeQualityOperations
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