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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Operations MORT Analysis |  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 safety-relevant event or a system with high protection requirements, the method examines where controls failed. It exposes both technical and organizational gaps. | 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 | Mehrere Tage bis Wochen | 45–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 4-8 | 2-6 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | MORT Worksheets, Findings per Branch, Corrective Actions, Systemic Recommendations | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | Root causeSafetySystemicIncident | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause |