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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Bottleneck Analysis | ![]() Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping | ![]() Decision Making Constraint Analysis | ![]() Knowledge Modeling IBIS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-2 h | 30-90 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1-8 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes |
Tagsno overlap | FlowMeasurementConstraints | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | RationaleKnowledgeDecision |



