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Criterion
Value Stream Mapping workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Delivery
Value Stream Mapping
Paper illustration for Dot Estimation.
Facilitation
Dot Estimation
Paper fishbone diagram with a measurable effect at the head and six labeled cause branches.
Operations
Fishbone Diagram
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
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.When size or effort can only be estimated roughly, Dot Estimation condenses the group's experience into a quick range. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as an Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, and Discussion Targets.When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers.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
MediumLowLowLow
Timedifferent
1-3 h5-20 min30-60 min15-30 min
Participantsdifferent
4-103-202-82-6
Formatsame
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck listEffort Heatmap, Risk Signals, Discussion TargetsFishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation BacklogRoot cause notes, Countermeasures
Tagsno overlap
LeanFlowWasteDelivery
EstimationEffortRisk
Root causeQualityOperations
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
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