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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Operations ABC Analysis |  Operations After-Action Review |  Agile Sprint Retrospective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | With many similar objects of differing economic significance, the method prioritizes effort by effect. It separates what needs regular steering from what rarely needs attention. | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | When a sprint is over and friction shouldn't simply be carried forward, it opens the view onto collaboration and patterns. It creates space to see causes and changes together. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 30-60 min | 20-45 min | Up to 3 hours for a one-month Sprint; shorter Sprints are usually shorter |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 1-5 | 3-12 | Scrum Team |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | ABC Classification, Focus Rules, Control List | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Improvement actions, Team agreements |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | PrioritizationOperationsPortfolio | LearningOperationsImprovement | RetrospectiveImprovementLearning |