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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Visual Management | ![]() UX Research Contextual Inquiry | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis | ![]() Operations Fault Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With high tempo and many parallel topics, the method makes status, deviations, and priorities visible at a glance. It reduces search effort and prevents what matters from getting lost in daily work. | When work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise. | 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. | For a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High | High |
Timedifferent | Ongoing | 1-3 Wochen | 2-6 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-20 | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Visual Board, Status Indicators, Exception Cues | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions |
Tagsno overlap | SignalsOperationsVisual management | UX researchObservationContext | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | RiskRoot causeSafety |



