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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  DevOps Incident Timeline Analysis |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Polarity Mapping makes tensions between two opposing poles tangible, such as standardization and adaptation or control and autonomy. The method guards against making apparent either-or decisions prematurely. | For an incident with an unclear sequence, the method makes the timeline precisely visible. It separates perception, reaction, and delay so cause and effect become more clearly readable. | 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. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 60-180 min | 2-6 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-10 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Incident Timeline, Evidence Log, Delay Analysis, Improvement Actions | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | IncidentTimelineSite Reliability Engineering | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |