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Selected:After-Action Reviewarc42ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion | ![]() Operations After-Action Review | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | High | High |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-2 Tage | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 1-4 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |



