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| Criterion | ![]() Delivery Value Stream Mapping | ![]() Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping | ![]() Knowledge Modeling Knowledge Mapping | ![]() Engineering Kanban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly. | Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-2 h | 1-3 h | Ongoing |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 1-8 | 3-12 | 2-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps | Knowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer Plan | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics |
Tagsno overlap | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking | KnowledgeMappingRisk | FlowVisual managementDelivery |



