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| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Operations Process Mapping |  Innovation Design Sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | With a confusing workflow that has many handoffs, the method makes the actual process visible. It shows where work is passed on, delayed, or duplicated, so improvement targets the right spots. | When the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 1-3 h | 4-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 4-10 | 3-10 | 5-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | InnovationPrototypeResearch | ProcessOperationsImprovement | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation |