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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Futures Wheel |  Operations 5 Whys |  Agile Specification by Example |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The Futures Wheel helps explore the consequences of a decision, a trend, or a strategic move in a structured way. It makes visible which first, second, and third-order effects could arise from an event. | 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 business rules need to become precise, it ties language, example, and test together. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as an Example Table and Acceptance Tests. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 15-30 min | 60-90 min pro Feature | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-6 | 3-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Example Table, Acceptance Tests | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | AgileRequirementsExamplesBehavior-Driven Development | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |