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Criterion
Paper illustration for Contextual Inquiry.
UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
Paper illustration for Time Blocking
Operations
Time Blocking
Paper illustration for PDCA Cycle.
Operations
PDCA Cycle
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 a calendar that grows on request, the method makes available time explicit again. It combines appointments, focus work, and buffer into a more realistic day structure.For an improvement that still has to prove itself in everyday work, the method runs it through small learning loops. It connects planning, checking, and standardization into a repeatable learning mode.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowLow
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen15-30 min Planung, laufend1 h bis mehrere Wochen
Participantsdifferent
4-12 Beobachtungen11-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncAsyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsBlocked Calendar, Capacity View, Focus PlanPDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
PlanningTime managementFocus
Continuous improvementLeanExperiments
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for ALPEN Method
Operations
ALPEN Method
Gemba Walk workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
Gemba Walk
Paper illustration of GIST Planning with its method-specific working model.
Product Strategy
GIST Planning
Paper illustration for Kaizen Event.
Operations
Kaizen Event