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| Criterion |  Operations Theory of Constraints |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h Analyse, laufend | 30-90 min | 2-8 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 2-5 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Constraint Map, Improvement Plan, Flow Metrics | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | OperationsConstraintsFlowImprovement | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |