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| Criterion |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Engineering Kanban |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | When work sits in too many parallel streams, throughput suffers and no one sees the bottlenecks. Kanban makes the flow of work visible and limits overload so a system becomes calmer and more predictable. | When delivery work dissolves into wait times, handoffs, and hidden effort, Value Stream Mapping makes the actual flow visible. The method exposes bottlenecks, idle time, and feedback loops so lead time and improvement levers become tangible. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | Ongoing | 1-3 h | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-5 | 2-12 | 4-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | FlowVisual managementDelivery | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |