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| Criterion |  Operations Process Mapping |  Innovation Brainstorming |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Innovation Lotus Blossom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. | 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. | When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 30-60 min | 30-120 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-12 | 2-6 | 3-10 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | ProcessOperationsImprovement | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | LeanObservationProcessOperations | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop |