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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  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 complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 45-90 min | 30-90 min | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-5 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |