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| Criterion |  Operations Process Mapping |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Systems Thinking Futures Wheel |  Operations Theory of Constraints |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 60-120 min | 2-4 h Analyse, laufend |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | 3-10 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Constraint Map, Improvement Plan, Flow Metrics |
Tagsno overlap | ProcessOperationsImprovement | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | OperationsConstraintsFlowImprovement |