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 |  Operations Process Mapping |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Operations Theory of Constraints |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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 | Low | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 2-4 h Analyse, laufend |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 3-10 | 3-8 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Constraint Map, Improvement Plan, Flow Metrics |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | ProcessOperationsImprovement | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | OperationsConstraintsFlowImprovement |