View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 2-6 h | 15-30 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline |