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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Futures Wheel | ![]() Operations Process Mapping | ![]() Operations Theory of Constraints | ![]() Operations After-Action 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. | For a system that does not get faster despite effort, the method directs attention to the bottleneck. It concentrates improvement on the point that actually limits throughput. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 1-3 h | 2-4 h Analyse, laufend | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-10 | 3-12 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Constraint Map, Improvement Plan, Flow Metrics | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary |
Tagsno overlap | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | ProcessOperationsImprovement | OperationsConstraintsFlowImprovement | LearningOperationsImprovement |



