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| Criterion |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations Waste Analysis |  Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping |  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. | For a process that keeps people busy but creates little value, the method exposes waste. It directs attention to unnecessary movement, waiting times, rework, and overdelivery. | 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. | 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 | 45-120 min | 1-2 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 2-8 | 1-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Waste Map, Prioritized Waste, Improvement Backlog | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | WasteLeanProcess improvement | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |