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| Criterion |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Agile Starfish Retrospective |  Operations Process Mapping |  Operations Gemba Walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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 there is uncertainty about the real course of a process, the method brings observation to the place where work happens. It combines perception, follow-up questions, and process knowledge so decisions rest on actual workflows instead of assumptions. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 45-90 min | 1-3 h | 30-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 4-12 | 3-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Starfish Board, Practice Changes, Experiments | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | RetrospectiveImprovementExperimentsTeam | ProcessOperationsImprovement | LeanObservationProcessOperations |