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| Criterion |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Product Discovery Outcome-Driven Innovation |  Operations Kaizen Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | Outcome-Driven Innovation clarifies customer problems, solution opportunities, and evidence. It separates jobs, desired outcomes, importance, satisfaction, and opportunity, and captures results as desired outcome statements, an opportunity landscape, and segments by underserved needs. | For a tightly scoped process segment with noticeable waste, the method bundles shared energy for change. It suits situations that call for fast learning loops and visible adjustments. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 30-120 min | Mehrere Wochen | 0.5-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 2-6 | 2-6 researchers plus sample | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Desired outcome statements, Opportunity landscape, Segmentation by underserved needs, Innovation hypotheses | Kaizen Charter, Waste List, Improvement Experiments, Standard Work Update |
Tagsno overlap | InnovationPrototypeResearch | LeanObservationProcessOperations | OutcomesInnovationResearchQuantitative | LeanContinuous improvementOperations |