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| Criterion |  Engineering Kanban |  Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping |  Operations Waste Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly. | For a process that keeps people busy but creates little value, the method exposes waste. It directs attention to unnecessary movement, waiting times, rework, and overdelivery. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Ongoing | 1-2 h | 45-120 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-12 | 1-8 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps | Waste Map, Prioritized Waste, Improvement Backlog | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | FlowVisual managementDelivery | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking | WasteLeanProcess improvement | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |