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| Criterion |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Innovation TRIZ |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | For technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 1-4 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 4-10 | 2-8 | 2-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Contradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | InnovationPrototypeResearch | InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |