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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research User Interviews | ![]() Operations Gemba Walk | ![]() Operations 5 Whys | ![]() Operations 8D Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | 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. | For an acute quality or delivery problem, the method structures immediate protection and root cause work together. It keeps the situation stable while the actual cause is investigated cleanly. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 30–60 min per interview | 30-120 min | 15-30 min | 1-6 Wochen |
Participantsdifferent | 1 participant per interview | 2-6 | 2-6 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | 8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | LeanObservationProcessOperations | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | QualityProblem solvingRoot cause |



