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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Product Discovery Outcome-Driven Innovation |  Innovation Design Sprint |  Operations A3 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. | Outcome-Driven Innovation clarifies customer problems, solution opportunities, and evidence. It separates jobs, desired outcomes, importance, satisfaction, and opportunity, and captures results as desired outcome statements, an opportunity landscape, and segments by underserved needs. | When the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | Mehrere Wochen | 4-5 Tage | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-6 researchers plus sample | 5-8 | 2-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Desired outcome statements, Opportunity landscape, Segmentation by underserved needs, Innovation hypotheses | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | OutcomesInnovationResearchQuantitative | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |