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Selected:arc42Failure Mode and Effects AnalysisSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Change Analysis
| Criterion | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis | ![]() Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) | ![]() Operations Change Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | For a deviation after a change, the method isolates the influence of the altered condition. It narrows down which differences are relevant and which are just accompanying noise. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 2-6 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 3-10 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison |



