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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Tree 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. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | 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 | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 1-3 h | 45–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas |
Tags1 shared | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause |
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