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Criterion
Paper illustration of Futures Wheel with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
Futures Wheel
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Gemba Walk workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
Gemba Walk
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.LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail.When there is uncertainty about the real course of a process, the method brings observation to the place where work happens. It combines perception, follow-up questions, and process knowledge so decisions rest on actual workflows instead of assumptions.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
60-120 min3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional30-120 min
Participantsdifferent
3-101 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people2-6
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic SignalsLean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checksObservation Notes, Improvement Ideas
Tagsno overlap
ForesightSystems thinkingSignals
ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean
LeanObservationProcessOperations
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Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Operations
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Paper illustration for Standard Work Analysis.
Operations
Standard Work Analysis
A3 Problem-Solving workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
A3 Problem Solving