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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  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. | When work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 1-3 Wochen | 1-3 h | 0.5-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 4-10 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Kaizen Charter, Waste List, Improvement Experiments, Standard Work Update |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | UX researchObservationContext | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | LeanContinuous improvementOperations |