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| Criterion |  Operations Theory of Constraints |  Operations Bottleneck Analysis |  Engineering Kanban |  Operations After-Action Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For a flow that backs up at one point, the method looks for the capacity limit with the greatest leverage. It explains why extra effort elsewhere barely improves throughput. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h Analyse, laufend | 1-3 h | Ongoing | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-8 | 2-12 | 3-12 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Constraint Map, Improvement Plan, Flow Metrics | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary |
Tagsno overlap | OperationsConstraintsFlowImprovement | FlowMeasurementConstraints | FlowVisual managementDelivery | LearningOperationsImprovement |