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| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Operations Process Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | Polarity Mapping makes tensions between two opposing poles tangible, such as standardization and adaptation or control and autonomy. The method guards against making apparent either-or decisions prematurely. | With a confusing workflow that has many handoffs, the method makes the actual process visible. It shows where work is passed on, delayed, or duplicated, so improvement targets the right spots. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-8 | 3-12 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | ProcessOperationsImprovement |