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| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling PARA Method |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Engineering Kanban |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The PARA Method organizes knowledge into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. It creates order when digital notes, files, and tasks no longer cleanly fit current work. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h Setup, laufend | 1-3 h | Ongoing | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1 | 4-10 | 2-12 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | PARA Structure, Project Notes, Knowledge Archive | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | KnowledgeProductivityOrganization | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | FlowVisual managementDelivery | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |