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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Futures Wheel |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Operations Kaizen Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The Futures Wheel helps explore the consequences of a decision, a trend, or a strategic move in a structured way. It makes visible which first, second, and third-order effects could arise from an event. | When delivery work dissolves into wait times, handoffs, and hidden effort, Value Stream Mapping makes the actual flow visible. The method exposes bottlenecks, idle time, and feedback loops so lead time and improvement levers become tangible. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 1-3 h | 30-120 min | 0.5-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-10 | 2-6 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Kaizen Charter, Waste List, Improvement Experiments, Standard Work Update |
Tagsno overlap | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | LeanObservationProcessOperations | LeanContinuous improvementOperations |