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| Criterion |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Operations Process Mapping |  Agile 4Ls Retrospective |  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. | With a confusing workflow that has many handoffs, the method makes the actual process visible. It shows where work is passed on, delayed, or duplicated, so improvement targets the right spots. | When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time. | 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 | 1-3 h | 45–75 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 3-10 | Team members involved | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions | Starfish Board, Practice Changes, Experiments |
Tagsno overlap | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | ProcessOperationsImprovement | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam | RetrospectiveImprovementExperimentsTeam |