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Criterion
Value Stream Mapping workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Delivery
Value Stream Mapping
Paper illustration for Contextual Inquiry.
UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
Paper illustration for 8D Problem Solving.
Operations
8D Problem Solving
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.When work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise.For an acute quality or delivery problem, the method structures immediate protection and root cause work together. It keeps the situation stable while the actual cause is investigated cleanly.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumHigh
Timedifferent
1-3 h1-3 Wochen1-6 Wochen
Participantsdifferent
4-104-12 Beobachtungen4-10
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck listField Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action Plan
Tagsno overlap
LeanFlowWasteDelivery
UX researchObservationContext
QualityProblem solvingRoot cause
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for Root Cause Analysis.
Operations
Root Cause Analysis
A3 Problem-Solving workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
A3 Problem Solving
Paper illustration for Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Operations
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis