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| Criterion |  Operations Kaizen Event |  UX Research User Interviews |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a tightly scoped process segment with noticeable waste, the method bundles shared energy for change. It suits situations that call for fast learning loops and visible adjustments. | When teams derive needs only from assumptions and real motives are missing, user interviews give direct access to behavior and meaning. Conversations from the target group's everyday life make patterns, tensions, and open questions solidly visible. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | 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 | Medium | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 0.5-5 Tage | 30–60 min per interview | 15-30 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 1 participant per interview | 2-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Kaizen Charter, Waste List, Improvement Experiments, Standard Work Update | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | LeanContinuous improvementOperations | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |