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 |  Agile NoEstimates |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Engineering Kanban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 estimating slows a team down more than it helps, it shifts the focus to flow, small slices, and real lead time. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as Throughput Data, Flow Forecast, and Slicing Rules. | When delivery work dissolves into wait times, handoffs, and hidden effort, Value Stream Mapping makes the actual flow visible. The method exposes bottlenecks, idle time, and feedback loops so lead time and improvement levers become tangible. | When work sits in too many parallel streams, throughput suffers and no one sees the bottlenecks. Kanban makes the flow of work visible and limits overload so a system becomes calmer and more predictable. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | laufend | 1-3 h | Ongoing |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-12 | 4-10 | 2-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Throughput Data, Flow Forecast, Slicing Rules | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | EstimationForecastingFlow | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | FlowVisual managementDelivery |