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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Futures Wheel |  Operations Process Mapping |  Operations After-Action Review |  Operations Learning Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | With a confusing workflow that has many handoffs, the method makes the actual process visible. It shows where work is passed on, delayed, or duplicated, so improvement targets the right spots. | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | After a project phase with mixed results, the method makes learning from the individual case reusable. It connects events, decisions, and systemic conditions into robust insights. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 1-3 h | 20-45 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-10 | 3-12 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Learning Review Notes, System Factors, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | ProcessOperationsImprovement | LearningOperationsImprovement | LearningRetrospectiveIncidentOperations |