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| Criterion |  Product Discovery Working Backwards |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When the target state and benefit need to be clear first, it thinks backward from the desired outcome into the product logic. It sharpens vision, objections, and value proposition before elaboration. | For an improvement that still has to prove itself in everyday work, the method runs it through small learning loops. It connects planning, checking, and standardization into a repeatable learning mode. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Low | High | High |
Timedifferent | 4-8 h, mehrere Iterationen | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 2-6 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 1-8 | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Future Press Release, FAQ, Vision Statement | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | VisionNarrativeAlignment | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |