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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|
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 problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-4 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeQualityOperations |
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