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| Criterion |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Agile Start Stop Continue |  Agile Starfish Retrospective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | When a team wants to deliberately adjust its working behavior, it makes habits visible and assessable. It focuses on concrete changes instead of diffuse mood. | When improvement options need to be sorted more finely than just start and stop, it brings observations into clear kinds of action. This makes visible what should be done more, less, newly, or continued. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 45-90 min | 30-60 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 2-5 | 3-12 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Start Stop Continue Board, Improvement Actions | Starfish Board, Practice Changes, Experiments |
Tagsno overlap | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | RetrospectiveImprovementTeamReflection | RetrospectiveImprovementExperimentsTeam |