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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | A Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 2-4 h | 1-4 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-8 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |