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| Criterion |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Engineering Kanban |  Operations Gemba Walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When delivery work dissolves into wait times, handoffs, and hidden effort, Value Stream Mapping makes the actual flow visible. The method exposes bottlenecks, idle time, and feedback loops so lead time and improvement levers become tangible. | 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. | 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. | When there is uncertainty about the real course of a process, the method brings observation to the place where work happens. It combines perception, follow-up questions, and process knowledge so decisions rest on actual workflows instead of assumptions. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | Ongoing | 30-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 2-5 | 2-12 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | FlowVisual managementDelivery | LeanObservationProcessOperations |