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| Criterion |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations Bottleneck Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | 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. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 3-10 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | FlowMeasurementConstraints | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |