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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Innovation Lotus Blossom |  Innovation Brainstorming |  Innovation Rapid Ideation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem. | When a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. | When a decision needs to be prepared quickly, the method generates many solution-close variants in a short time. It deliberately relies on pace to undercut self-censorship and perfectionism. This quickly produces a usable field for prioritization and further work. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 45-90 min | 30-60 min | 5-20 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-10 | 4-12 | 1-20 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | Ideenpool, Roh-Shortlist, Cluster |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | BrainstormingIdeationDivergenceSpeed |