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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Operations 5 Whys |  Business Strategy 5-Minuten VC-Check |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | The 5-Minute VC Check clarifies opportunities and strategic options at the earliest idea stage. It compares problem quality, customer willingness to pay, alternatives, differentiation, and market potential, and captures the result as a VC-check note, go/sharpen/park decision, and risk list. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 15-30 min | 5-15 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-6 | 1-5 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | VC-check note, Go/sharpen/park decision, Risk and assumption list, Next validation step | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | StartupValidationCompetition | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |