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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Gemba Walk | ![]() Business Strategy 5-Minuten VC-Check | ![]() Operations Kepner-Tregoe | ![]() Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | The 5-Minute VC Check clarifies opportunities and strategic options at the earliest idea stage. It compares problem quality, customer willingness to pay, alternatives, differentiation, and market potential, and captures the result as a VC-check note, go/sharpen/park decision, and risk list. | 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. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 5-15 min | 2-8 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 1-5 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | VC-check note, Go/sharpen/park decision, Risk and assumption list, Next validation step | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | StartupValidationCompetition | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |



