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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Agile Example Mapping |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | When a story carries business rules and exceptions, it brings clarity before implementation. It makes examples, open questions, and boundaries visible enough that the logic becomes jointly sound. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 1-4 h | 30-60 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | 3-7 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Example Map, Acceptance Criteria, Open Questions | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Behavior-Driven DevelopmentRequirementsExamplesRefinement | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |