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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | 1-3 Wochen | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | UX researchObservationContext | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |
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