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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Agile Bucket System |  Domain Modeling Context Map |  Agile Affinity Estimation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When a large batch of work needs a fast, rough estimate, it sorts items into predefined size buckets. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as a Bucketed Backlog, Relative Estimates, and Split Candidates. | When several contexts need to talk to each other, it makes their relationships and dependencies legible. It helps sort integration pressure and responsibilities across system boundaries. | When many tasks need to be classified quickly, it sorts them by perceived effort and similarity. It reduces the effort of fine-grained estimation for large volumes. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-12 | 2-8 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Bucketed Backlog, Relative Estimates, Split Candidates | Context Map, Integration Patterns, Boundary Notes | Affinity Size Map, Grouped Estimates, Unclear Items |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing | Domain-Driven DesignBoundariesStrategy | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing |