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| Criterion |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  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 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. | 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. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 30-120 min | 45-90 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 2-6 | 2-5 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tags1 shared | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | LeanObservationProcessOperations | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |