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| Criterion |  Operations Process Mapping |  Engineering Kanban |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations Gemba Walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 work sits in too many parallel streams, throughput suffers and no one sees the bottlenecks. Kanban makes the flow of work visible and limits overload so a system becomes calmer and more predictable. | When delivery work dissolves into wait times, handoffs, and hidden effort, Value Stream Mapping makes the actual flow visible. The method exposes bottlenecks, idle time, and feedback loops so lead time and improvement levers become tangible. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | Ongoing | 1-3 h | 30-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-12 | 4-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | ProcessOperationsImprovement | FlowVisual managementDelivery | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | LeanObservationProcessOperations |