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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Operations Kaizen Event |  Operations Gemba Walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | For a tightly scoped process segment with noticeable waste, the method bundles shared energy for change. It suits situations that call for fast learning loops and visible adjustments. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 1-3 h | 0.5-5 Tage | 30-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 1-8 | 4-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Kaizen Charter, Waste List, Improvement Experiments, Standard Work Update | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | SensemakingDecisionRationale | LeanContinuous improvementOperations | LeanObservationProcessOperations |