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| Criterion |  Operations Process Mapping |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Operations After-Action Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 30-60 min | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1-8 | 2-8 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary |
Tagsno overlap | ProcessOperationsImprovement | SensemakingDecisionRationale | Root causeQualityOperations | LearningOperationsImprovement |