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| Criterion |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations Waste Analysis |  Knowledge Modeling Knowledge 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. | Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable. | 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 | 1-3 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 2-8 | 3-12 | 2-6 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Waste Map, Prioritized Waste, Improvement Backlog | Knowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | WasteLeanProcess improvement | KnowledgeMappingRisk | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |