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Criterion
Visual Management workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
Visual Management
Paper illustration for Kepner-Tregoe
Operations
Kepner-Tregoe
Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
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 disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations.When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic.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
LowHighMediumLow
Timedifferent
Ongoing2-8 h45-90 min15-30 min
Participantsdifferent
1-202-82-82-6
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Visual Board, Status Indicators, Exception CuesProblem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk PlanDecision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected OptionRoot cause notes, Countermeasures
Tagsno overlap
SignalsOperationsVisual management
Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations
DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
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