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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Gemba Walk | ![]() Engineering Hypothesis-Driven Troubleshooting | ![]() Facilitation Alignment 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. | When systems fail unexpectedly, spontaneous attempts often produce more noise than insight. Hypothesis-driven Troubleshooting translates symptoms into testable assumptions and makes troubleshooting learnable. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 30-240 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 1-6 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Hypothesis Log, Test Plan, Evidence Notes, Diagnosis Summary | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | TroubleshootingProblem solvingDiagnosis | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |
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