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| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Operations Learning Review |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When there is uncertainty about the real course of a process, the method brings observation to the place where work happens. It combines perception, follow-up questions, and process knowledge so decisions rest on actual workflows instead of assumptions. | After a project phase with mixed results, the method makes learning from the individual case reusable. It connects events, decisions, and systemic conditions into robust insights. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 30-120 min | 1-3 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-6 | 3-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Learning Review Notes, System Factors, Improvement Actions | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | LeanObservationProcessOperations | LearningRetrospectiveIncidentOperations | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |