What needs to be finished first
The problem, goal, or decision is described well enough that the method can be applied to a clear scope.
What needs to be ready before start
Working board or document for a constraint list; existing notes, data, decisions, and assumptions; markers for uncertainty, owner, and next steps.
Facilitator; subject matter experts from the affected area; an owner for the result and follow-up; for decisions, a named decider.
Scope, trigger, known facts, relevant constraints, previous options or events, and the desired result of the session.
60-120 min
Prepare an empty constraint list template. Make scope and working question visible at the top. Mark every assumption as an assumption, not as a fact.
The one question this method answers
Which hard and soft constraints limit the solution space, and which of them are negotiable?
Marker: Phase
| Step | Duration | Action | Hint |
|---|---|---|---|
1Fix the scope | 10-20 min | Define the trigger, goal, and boundaries of the view. Collect unrelated topics on a parking lot. | A narrow scope produces better results than a complete but diffuse sweep. |
2Collect raw material | 20-40 min | Gather facts, events, options, constraints, or assumptions and make them visible. | Keep facts and interpretations separate. Mark uncertain points instead of smoothing them over. |
3Build structure | 30-60 min | Fill out the constraint list step by step, clarify relationships between elements, and make contradictions visible. | Do not evaluate too early. First stabilize the structure, then draw conclusions. |
4Check and condense | 20-40 min | Mark gaps, weak assumptions, counterexamples, and critical paths. Check the result for comprehensibility. | If nobody can explain the logic in two minutes, the artifact is not finished yet. |
5Define next steps | 15-20 min | Document decision, experiment, test, measure, or follow-up with owner and date. | A good artifact without a next action remains knowledge work without effect. |
What comes out at the end
Constraint list with trigger, scope, central elements, assumptions, marked gaps, result interpretation, and next step with owner and date.
Store the artifact with date, scope, and participants. For new evidence, create a new version or a change note so the decision logic remains traceable.
Compact working template for Constraint Analysis with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
Identifies hard and soft constraints that limit or prioritize solution options.
When and for what do we use this method?
Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?
Short notes along the runsheet.
Owner, date, and success signal.
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Scope: A specific project area is considered, not the whole company. Working question: Which hard and soft constraints limit the solution space, and which of them are negotiable?
Excerpt from the artifact:
Result: The team chooses a focused next step with owner and date. Signal: From constraints to a realistic solution space.
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
New topics keep being added and the artifact loses focus.
Keep the scope visible and put new topics on the parking lot.
The discussion sounds certain even though evidence is missing.
Mark every uncertain statement and define a checkpoint.
The team jumps to measures after a few minutes.
First make the structure complete, then derive options or measures.
The artifact only confirms the favorite hypothesis.
Explicitly ask for counterexamples, negative branches, or excluded options.
The result is understandable, but nobody follows it up.
Always document the next step with owner, date, and success signal.
Done signals checkable in under a minute
Go to the profile for purpose, similar methods, and sources or continue to the next method in the catalog.