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| Criterion |  Operations Waste Analysis |  Decision Making Option Framing |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | In early decisions, alternatives are often still vague, incomplete, or blended together. Option Framing brings every possibility into a comparable form and makes visible which variant actually fits the question. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 45-120 min | 1-3 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-8 | 4-10 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Waste Map, Prioritized Waste, Improvement Backlog | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions |
Tagsno overlap | WasteLeanProcess improvement | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | StrategyAnalysisOptions |