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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Theory of Constraints Thinking Process | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() Architecture C4 Model | ![]() Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The Theory of Constraints Thinking Process exposes a system's bottleneck and the logic behind it. It suits situations where many symptoms trace back to the same limiting relationship. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | 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. | 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 | High | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 0.5-3 Tage | 1-2 Tage | 1-4 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 1-4 | 1-5 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Current Reality Logic, Conflict Cloud, Future Reality Tree, Implementation Obstacles | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsConstraintsSystems thinkingCausality | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |



