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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Operations After-Action Review |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations Kaizen Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | 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. | 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 | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 20-45 min | 1-3 h | 0.5-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-12 | 4-10 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Kaizen Charter, Waste List, Improvement Experiments, Standard Work Update |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | LearningOperationsImprovement | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | LeanContinuous improvementOperations |