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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Bottleneck Analysis | ![]() Operations Theory of Constraints | ![]() Operations After-Action Review | ![]() Agile 4Ls Retrospective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a flow that backs up at one point, the method looks for the capacity limit with the greatest leverage. It explains why extra effort elsewhere barely improves throughput. | For a system that does not get faster despite effort, the method directs attention to the bottleneck. It concentrates improvement on the point that actually limits throughput. | 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 a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 2-4 h Analyse, laufend | 20-45 min | 45–75 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-12 | 3-12 | Team members involved |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Constraint Map, Improvement Plan, Flow Metrics | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | FlowMeasurementConstraints | OperationsConstraintsFlowImprovement | LearningOperationsImprovement | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam |



