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| Criterion |  Operations Runbook |  Operations ALPEN Method |  Agile Starfish Retrospective |  Operations After-Action Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For recurring operational tasks or incidents, the method keeps solid action logic ready. It reduces uncertainty when time pressure, role changes, or rare situations demand fast access. | 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 improvement options need to be sorted more finely than just start and stop, it brings observations into clear kinds of action. This makes visible what should be done more, less, newly, or continued. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-60 min | 10-20 min daily | 45-90 min | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 1 | 4-12 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Runbook, Checklist, Escalation Path | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes | Starfish Board, Practice Changes, Experiments | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary |
Tagsno overlap | OperationsReliabilityDocumentation | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations | RetrospectiveImprovementExperimentsTeam | LearningOperationsImprovement |