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| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Operations 5 Whys |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | 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 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 2-6 h | 15-30 min | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionTreeOptions | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions |