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| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations ALPEN Method |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | With an overloaded day full of too many tasks, a realistic picture of the day emerges. The method connects estimating, deciding, and buffer thinking so planning fits available energy and time. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 2-6 h | 10-20 min daily | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | 1 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |