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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Evaporating Cloud | ![]() UX Research Customer Journey Mapping | ![]() Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis | ![]() Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The method makes visible why two seemingly incompatible demands arise and which assumption must be tested to resolve the conflict. | When a user journey falls apart across many touchpoints, customer journey mapping makes the experience visible as a coherent arc. Phases, emotions, and breaks become legible enough to prioritize critical moments deliberately. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 2-4 h | 1-3 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 4-10 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Conflict Cloud, Assumption List, Breakthrough Ideas, Next Experiments | Journey Map, Pain-point List, Opportunity Backlog | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsAssumptionsSystems thinking | JourneyServiceService design | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | Root causeSafetyIncident |



