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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Operations 8D Problem Solving |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | When there is uncertainty about the real course of a process, the method brings observation to the place where work happens. It combines perception, follow-up questions, and process knowledge so decisions rest on actual workflows instead of assumptions. | 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 | Medium | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 1-6 Wochen | 30-120 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 4-10 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | 8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action Plan | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | QualityProblem solvingRoot cause | LeanObservationProcessOperations | Root causeQualityOperations |