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| Criterion |  Innovation How Might We |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With a stuck problem carrying many implicit assumptions, the method translates observations into open, workable questions. It sharpens the problem frame without pre-thinking the solution, turning frustration or fuzziness into a search space with clear direction. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High | High |
Timedifferent | 30–45 min | 45-90 min | 2-6 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 3-8 | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | HMW Questions, Challenge Framing, Idea Prompts | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | FramingOpportunityIdeationQuestions | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |