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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Gemba Walk | ![]() Facilitation Mind Mapping | ![]() Operations Root Cause Analysis | ![]() Operations 8D Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 topic is still unclear and too many thoughts surface at once, Mind Mapping creates an open surface for ordering them. It makes connections, subtopics, and starting points visible without fixing them too early. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | For an acute quality or delivery problem, the method structures immediate protection and root cause work together. It keeps the situation stable while the actual cause is investigated cleanly. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 15-45 min | 1-4 h | 1-6 Wochen |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 1-10 | 3-8 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | 8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | QualityProblem solvingRoot cause |



