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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. | 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 | Medium | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 30–60 min | 2-8 h | 45–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 4-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause |