View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Systems Thinking Evaporating Cloud |  Systems Thinking Stock and Flow Diagram |  Systems Thinking System Dynamics Simulation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | A Stock and Flow Diagram shows how stocks, inflows, and outflows shape a system over time. It is especially suited when growth, delays, or capacity limits determine the dynamics. | System Dynamics Simulation makes assumptions about time, delay, and feedback testable through experiments. It draws relationships, patterns, and feedback loops. The result is captured as a simulation model and scenario reports. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 60-120 min | 2-6 h | Mehrere Tage bis Wochen |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-8 | 1-6 | 1-5 Modellierende, Stakeholder asynchron |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Conflict Cloud, Assumption List, Breakthrough Ideas, Next Experiments | Stock and Flow Model, Dynamics Notes, Simulation Hypotheses | Simulation Model, Scenario Reports |
Tags1 shared | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | Theory of ConstraintsAssumptionsSystems thinking | DynamicsSimulationFeedbackSystems thinking | Systems thinkingDynamicsSimulationAnalysis |