View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Operations Waste Analysis |  Engineering Kanban |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When work sits in too many parallel streams, throughput suffers and no one sees the bottlenecks. Kanban makes the flow of work visible and limits overload so a system becomes calmer and more predictable. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | Ongoing | 30-120 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-12 | 2-6 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Waste Map, Prioritized Waste, Improvement Backlog | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list |
Tagsno overlap | WasteLeanProcess improvement | FlowVisual managementDelivery | LeanObservationProcessOperations | LeanFlowWasteDelivery |