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| Criterion | ![]() Business Strategy GAP Analysis | ![]() Operations Causal Factor Analysis | ![]() Systems Thinking System Dynamics Simulation | ![]() Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | GAP Analysis compares the current state with a target picture and makes the distance manageable. It becomes useful when, ahead of new initiatives, it must become clear which capabilities, processes, or resources are missing. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | System Dynamics Simulation makes assumptions about time, delay, and feedback testable through experiments. It draws relationships, patterns, and feedback loops. The result is captured as a simulation model and scenario reports. | 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 | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 2-6 h | Mehrere Tage bis Wochen | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | 1-5 Modellierende, Stakeholder asynchron | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Simulation Model, Scenario Reports | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisPlanning | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Systems thinkingDynamicsSimulationAnalysis | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics |



