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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 2-6 h | 45-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation |
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