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Criterion
Systems Mapping method illustration showing its working structure
Systems Thinking
Systems Mapping
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
Paper illustration of Family Tree Analysis with its method-specific working model.
Operations
Family Tree Analysis
Purposedifferent
Systems Mapping arranges elements, relationships, and boundaries so a complex field becomes legible at a glance. The overview stabilizes the overall picture before detail work or steering begins.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 a series of incidents with a similar pattern, the method arranges individual events as branches of a common origin. It makes visible which conditions keep recurring.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 h15-30 min2-4 h
Participantsdifferent
3-122-62-6
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
System Map, Dependencies, Leverage PointsRoot cause notes, CountermeasuresFamily Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic Measures
Tagsno overlap
Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic
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Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Iceberg Model method illustration showing its working structure
Systems Thinking
Iceberg Model
Paper illustration of MORT Analysis with its method-specific working model.
Operations
MORT Analysis
Paper illustration for Root Cause Analysis.
Operations
Root Cause Analysis
Paper illustration for 8D Problem Solving.
Operations
8D Problem Solving