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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Operations Barrier Analysis |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. | 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. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 2-4 h | 30-120 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 2-6 | 2-6 | 2-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | Root causeSafetyIncident | LeanObservationProcessOperations | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |