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Criterion
Gemba Walk workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
Gemba Walk
Empathy Mapping
UX Research
Empathy Mapping
Paper illustration for Root Cause Analysis.
Operations
Root Cause 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 a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing.When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another.
Complexitydifferent
LowLowMedium
Timedifferent
30-120 min30–60 min1-4 h
Participantsdifferent
2-64-83-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Observation Notes, Improvement IdeasEmpathy Map, Assumptions List, Research GapsProblem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan
Tagsno overlap
LeanObservationProcessOperations
SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop
Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident
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Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for 8D Problem Solving.
Operations
8D Problem Solving
A3 Problem-Solving workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
A3 Problem Solving
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming