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| Criterion |  Engineering Kanban |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Operations Kaizen Event |  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 an improvement that still has to prove itself in everyday work, the method runs it through small learning loops. It connects planning, checking, and standardization into a repeatable learning mode. | For a tightly scoped process segment with noticeable waste, the method bundles shared energy for change. It suits situations that call for fast learning loops and visible adjustments. | 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 | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Ongoing | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 0.5-5 Tage | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-12 | 1-8 | 4-10 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Kaizen Charter, Waste List, Improvement Experiments, Standard Work Update | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list |
Tagsno overlap | FlowVisual managementDelivery | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | LeanContinuous improvementOperations | LeanFlowWasteDelivery |