methodatlas
Compare

View methods side by side.

Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.

Criterion
Gemba Walk workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
Gemba Walk
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
Paper illustration of an eight-panel idea sheet with varied sketches beside a timer set to eight minutes.
Innovation
Crazy 8s
Paper illustration for Kepner-Tregoe
Operations
Kepner-Tregoe
Purposedifferent
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 single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description.With only a few minutes available and a still-fuzzy solution search, the method forces a wide range of variants. It produces fast sketches before the first idea can settle in, making different directions directly comparable and open to further development.For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations.
Complexitydifferent
LowLowLowHigh
Timedifferent
30-120 min15-30 min8-15 min2-8 h
Participantsdifferent
2-62-61-102-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Observation Notes, Improvement IdeasRoot cause notes, CountermeasuresSketch Set, Idea Shortlist, Direction OptionsProblem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan
Tagsno overlap
LeanObservationProcessOperations
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
BrainstormingSketchingSpeedDivergenceDesign sprint
Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations
Add more methods