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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects 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. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | 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 | High | High |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 1-3 h | 2-6 h | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 1-8 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | SensemakingDecisionRationale | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |