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| Criterion | ![]() Engineering Kanban | ![]() Operations DMAIC | ![]() Operations Bottleneck Analysis | ![]() 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. | For a process problem with fluctuating performance, the method brings analysis and improvement into a disciplined sequence. It creates a framework in which numbers, causes, and control come together. | For a flow that backs up at one point, the method looks for the capacity limit with the greatest leverage. It explains why extra effort elsewhere barely improves throughput. | 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 | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Ongoing | 2-12 Wochen | 1-3 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-12 | 3-10 | 3-8 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | Project Charter, Measurement Plan, Cause Analysis, Control Plan | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list |
Tagsno overlap | FlowVisual managementDelivery | Continuous improvementQualityProcess improvement | FlowMeasurementConstraints | LeanFlowWasteDelivery |



