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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Gemba Walk | ![]() Innovation TRIZ | ![]() Operations Kepner-Tregoe | ![]() Innovation Contradiction Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. | When a system should improve while another measure suffers as a result, the method makes the underlying conflict precisely formulable. It separates the desired effect from its side effect. This makes solutions possible that address the contradiction deliberately instead of half-heartedly. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 1-4 h | 2-8 h | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Contradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Contradiction Statement, Abstraction Notes, Solution Principles, Concept Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | ContradictionsInnovationProblem solving |



