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Selected:User InterviewsRoot Cause Tree AnalysisFailure Mode and Effects AnalysisRoot Cause Analysis
| Criterion |  UX Research User Interviews |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | 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 | Low | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30–60 min per interview | 1-3 h | 2-6 h | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1 participant per interview | 2-8 | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |