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| Criterion | ![]() Agile Starfish Retrospective | ![]() Operations A3 Problem Solving | ![]() Operations PDCA Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | For an improvement that still has to prove itself in everyday work, the method runs it through small learning loops. It connects planning, checking, and standardization into a repeatable learning mode. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 45-90 min | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 | 2-5 | 1-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Starfish Board, Practice Changes, Experiments | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change |
Tagsno overlap | RetrospectiveImprovementExperimentsTeam | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments |
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.






