The 'cause and effect' relationship is where there are two distinct times. A and B, where B always comes after A. The events (cause) of A always lead to the outcome (effect) of B. If B doesn't occur after A, then it's not a cause and effect relationship. A will 100% of the time result in B.

For example, an acorn is what's necessary for an oak tree to exist. There was an acorn first (A), and later that acorn had grown into an oak tree (B). The acorn grew into an oak. Cause and effect. Simple - but not true.

The 'producer-product' relationship is more elaborate (Differences that don't make a difference). There are multiple producers that contribute in the creation of a product.

For example, an acorn in an ocean does not result in an oak tree growing. Nor does an acorn create an oak tree in a desert. There are more "producers" than just the seed. Air, water, soil quality and availablility, an acorn, sunlight, temperature, humidity, etc. All are producers of the product, in this case an oak tree.

The relationship is more complicated because it focuses on the complex system as a whole rather than as a closed natural system.

1. Possible producers - Whether or not the producer is even possibly a producer of the product. For example, an egg is not a producer of an acorn, so it does not fit with in the possible category. An acorn is in the possible category because it can create an oak tree, but sometimes it does not.
2. Potential producers - This is a redundancy factor coming from a slightly different angle. An acorn fits into the potential category when it has been shown that multiple acorns have become oak trees, but at least one acorn has failed to produce an oak tree. Thus it's potential is greater than a possible category.
3. Probable producers - This is a fairly complex category, which is about the probability that the producer will indeed contribute to the creation of the product. This is determined from average statistical probability of the base, and any variation from that base.

• Source: (On Purposeful Systems #citation) - p.22

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