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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Process Mapping | ![]() Systems Thinking Rich Picture | ![]() Operations A3 Problem Solving | ![]() Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 30-90 min | 45-90 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-10 | 2-5 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints |
Tagsno overlap | ProcessOperationsImprovement | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders |



