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| Criterion |  Operations Bottleneck Analysis |  Operations Theory of Constraints |  Engineering Kanban |  Operations After-Action Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 2-4 h Analyse, laufend | Ongoing | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-12 | 2-12 | 3-12 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Constraint Map, Improvement Plan, Flow Metrics | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary |
Tagsno overlap | FlowMeasurementConstraints | OperationsConstraintsFlowImprovement | FlowVisual managementDelivery | LearningOperationsImprovement |