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| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Operations Process Mapping |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |  Operations Gemba Walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-3 h | 90-180 min | 30-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-10 | 4-12 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | ProcessOperationsImprovement | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility | LeanObservationProcessOperations |