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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Fault Tree Analysis |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | For a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 2-6 h | 2-6 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-10 | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tags1 shared | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | RiskRoot causeSafety | Root causeQualityOperations |