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Criterion
Value Stream Mapping workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Delivery
Value Stream Mapping
Paper illustration for TOWS Matrix.
Business Strategy
TOWS Matrix
Paper illustration for Constraint Analysis.
Decision Making
Constraint Analysis
Paper illustration for Bottleneck Analysis.
Operations
Bottleneck Analysis
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.The TOWS Matrix connects internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats into action-oriented strategies. It goes a step further than a pure stocktaking.When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped.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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 h1-2 h30-90 min1-3 h
Participantsdifferent
4-103-102-83-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck listTOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority ActionsConstraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision BoundariesBottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures
Tagsno overlap
LeanFlowWasteDelivery
StrategyAnalysisOptions
ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions
FlowMeasurementConstraints
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