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| Criterion |  Operations Process Mapping |  Operations Theory of Constraints |  Operations ALPEN Method |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For a system that does not get faster despite effort, the method directs attention to the bottleneck. It concentrates improvement on the point that actually limits throughput. | With an overloaded day full of too many tasks, a realistic picture of the day emerges. The method connects estimating, deciding, and buffer thinking so planning fits available energy and time. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 2-4 h Analyse, laufend | 10-20 min daily | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-12 | 1 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Constraint Map, Improvement Plan, Flow Metrics | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries |
Tagsno overlap | ProcessOperationsImprovement | OperationsConstraintsFlowImprovement | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions |