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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Futures Wheel |  Operations Bottleneck Analysis |  Systems Thinking Behavior Over Time Graph |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 1-3 h | 20-45 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | 1-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Behavior Over Time Graph, Trend Hypotheses, Key Events | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points |
Tagsno overlap | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | FlowMeasurementConstraints | Systems thinkingPatternsDynamics | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics |