View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Engineering Fault Isolation |  Operations Process Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | With a confusing workflow that has many handoffs, the method makes the actual process visible. It shows where work is passed on, delayed, or duplicated, so improvement targets the right spots. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 30-180 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 1-6 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Fault Isolation Map, Test Log, Excluded Hypotheses, Narrowed Fault Area | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | TroubleshootingDiagnosisEngineering | ProcessOperationsImprovement |
Often compared together
Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.
