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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Systems Thinking Evaporating Cloud |  Operations 5 Whys |  Systems Thinking Future 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 method makes visible why two seemingly incompatible demands arise and which assumption must be tested to resolve the conflict. | 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. | A Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 60-120 min | 15-30 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-8 | 2-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Conflict Cloud, Assumption List, Breakthrough Ideas, Next Experiments | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | Theory of ConstraintsAssumptionsSystems thinking | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange |