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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Evaporating Cloud |  Operations Bottleneck Analysis |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Systems Thinking Behavior Over Time Graph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The method makes visible why two seemingly incompatible demands arise and which assumption must be tested to resolve the conflict. | 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. | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. | A Behavior Over Time Graph shows how a metric or observation develops over time. The method makes trends, breaks, and recurring patterns visible that get lost in snapshots. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-8 | 2-8 | 1-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Conflict Cloud, Assumption List, Breakthrough Ideas, Next Experiments | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Behavior Over Time Graph, Trend Hypotheses, Key Events |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsAssumptionsSystems thinking | FlowMeasurementConstraints | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | Systems thinkingPatternsDynamics |