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| Criterion |  Operations Theory of Constraints |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Operations Process Mapping |  Operations ALPEN Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h Analyse, laufend | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 10-20 min daily |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-8 | 3-10 | 1 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async |
Outputdifferent | Constraint Map, Improvement Plan, Flow Metrics | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Process Map, Handoff List, Improvement Backlog | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes |
Tagsno overlap | OperationsConstraintsFlowImprovement | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ProcessOperationsImprovement | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations |