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| Criterion | ![]() Operations After-Action Review | ![]() Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree | ![]() Operations Bottleneck Analysis | ![]() Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | For a flow that backs up at one point, the method looks for the capacity limit with the greatest leverage. It explains why extra effort elsewhere barely improves throughput. | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-8 | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | FlowMeasurementConstraints | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics |



