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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Architecture arc42 |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 30-60 min | 1-2 Tage | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 1-4 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | Root causeQualityOperations | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |