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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Systems Mapping | ![]() Architecture C4 Model | ![]() Operations Change Analysis | ![]() Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | For a deviation after a change, the method isolates the influence of the altered condition. It narrows down which differences are relevant and which are just accompanying noise. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-4 h | 45-120 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 1-5 | 2-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |



