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| Criterion |  Engineering Kanban |  Operations ABC Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | With many similar objects of differing economic significance, the method prioritizes effort by effect. It separates what needs regular steering from what rarely needs attention. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | Ongoing | 30-60 min | 15-30 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-12 | 1-5 | 2-6 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | ABC Classification, Focus Rules, Control List | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list |
Tagsno overlap | FlowVisual managementDelivery | PrioritizationOperationsPortfolio | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | LeanFlowWasteDelivery |