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| Criterion |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | When work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 1-3 Wochen | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-5 | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 3-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | UX researchObservationContext | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |
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