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| Criterion |  Operations Process Mapping |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  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 assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | When demand only needs to be roughly verified, it tests interest with minimal effort. It measures whether people would take a next step at all. | 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 | 45-60 min | 1-5 Tage | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | Nutzertraffic | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary |
Tagsno overlap | ProcessOperationsImprovement | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | LearningOperationsImprovement |