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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Product Discovery Pretotyping |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Innovation Lean Startup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Pretotyping clarifies whether a customer problem and solution idea create enough real demand. It separates problem, assumption, solution, and evidence, and captures the result as a pretotyping sketch, test setup, and conversion data. | For an improvement that still has to prove itself in everyday work, the method runs it through small learning loops. It connects planning, checking, and standardization into a repeatable learning mode. | For uncertain business assumptions, the method forces the idea into contact with real market reactions early. It separates wishful picture, assumption, and observable behavior, so that learning becomes faster than planning. This translates uncertainty into measurable insight. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | Stunden bis wenige Tage | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | Wochen bis Monate je Lernzyklus |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 1-4 | 1-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Pretotyping sketch, Test setup, Conversion data, Go or no-go decision | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Hypothesis list, MVPs, Learning reports, Pivot or persevere decision |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | ValidationDemandMVP | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | LeanStartupValidationMVP |