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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Operations 8D Problem Solving |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. | For an acute quality or delivery problem, the method structures immediate protection and root cause work together. It keeps the situation stable while the actual cause is investigated cleanly. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-6 Wochen | 2-6 h | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 4-10 | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | 8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action Plan | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | QualityProblem solvingRoot cause | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |