View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Engineering Kanban |  Operations 5 Whys |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | 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. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Ongoing | 15-30 min | 1-3 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-12 | 2-6 | 4-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | FlowVisual managementDelivery | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | Root causeSafetyIncident |