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| Criterion |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | 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 research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 30-60 min | 45–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas |
Tags1 shared | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeQualityOperations | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause |
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