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| Criterion |  Operations Process Mapping |  Operations After-Action Review |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | A Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 20-45 min | 45-90 min | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-12 | 3-8 | 2-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes |
Tagsno overlap | ProcessOperationsImprovement | LearningOperationsImprovement | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization |