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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations ALPEN Method |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | With an overloaded day full of too many tasks, a realistic picture of the day emerges. The method connects estimating, deciding, and buffer thinking so planning fits available energy and time. | 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 | Medium | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 15-30 min | 10-20 min daily | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 2-6 | 1 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |