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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Operations ALPEN Method |  Engineering Fault Isolation |  Engineering Hypothesis-Driven Troubleshooting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | With an overloaded day full of too many tasks, a realistic picture of the day emerges. The method connects estimating, deciding, and buffer thinking so planning fits available energy and time. | In technical failures, the visible symptom often gets mixed up with the actual cause. Fault Isolation narrows the fault space and progressively reduces which part of the system is truly affected. | When systems fail unexpectedly, spontaneous attempts often produce more noise than insight. Hypothesis-driven Troubleshooting translates symptoms into testable assumptions and makes troubleshooting learnable. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 10-20 min daily | 30-180 min | 30-240 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 1 | 1-6 | 1-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes | Fault Isolation Map, Test Log, Excluded Hypotheses, Narrowed Fault Area | Hypothesis Log, Test Plan, Evidence Notes, Diagnosis Summary |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations | TroubleshootingDiagnosisEngineering | TroubleshootingProblem solvingDiagnosis |