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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  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. | Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly. | 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. | 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 | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 1-2 h | 30-60 min | 30-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 1-8 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking | Root causeQualityOperations | LeanObservationProcessOperations |