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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Innovation TRIZ |  Operations 5 Whys |  Innovation Contradiction Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles. | 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. | When a system should improve while another measure suffers as a result, the method makes the underlying conflict precisely formulable. It separates the desired effect from its side effect. This makes solutions possible that address the contradiction deliberately instead of half-heartedly. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 1-4 h | 15-30 min | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Contradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Contradiction Statement, Abstraction Notes, Solution Principles, Concept Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | ContradictionsInnovationProblem solving |