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| Criterion | ![]() Agile Affinity Estimation | ![]() Decision Making Cynefin Workshop | ![]() Agile Bucket System | ![]() Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When many tasks need to be classified quickly, it sorts them by perceived effort and similarity. It reduces the effort of fine-grained estimation for large volumes. | When problems are unclear, chaotic, or only seemingly familiar, standard recipes fall short. A Cynefin Workshop sorts situations by the nature of their problem and connects them with matching action logic. | When a large batch of work needs a fast, rough estimate, it sorts items into predefined size buckets. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as a Bucketed Backlog, Relative Estimates, and Split Candidates. | Soft Systems Methodology helps explore unclear or politically charged problems systematically. Instead of forcing a quick answer, the method builds a shared understanding of perspectives and room for action. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 60-180 min | 30-90 min | 0.5-3 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 4-20 | 3-12 | 5-15 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Affinity Size Map, Grouped Estimates, Unclear Items | Cynefin Map, Domain-specific Actions, Sensemaking Notes | Bucketed Backlog, Relative Estimates, Split Candidates | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda |
Tagsno overlap | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing | ComplexitySensemakingDecision | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking |



