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Criterion
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for 8D Problem Solving.
Operations
8D Problem Solving
Paper illustration with architecture components and concrete change tasks for comparison.
Architecture
SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Root Cause Analysis.
Operations
Root Cause Analysis
Purposedifferent
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 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.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.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
HighHighHighMedium
Timedifferent
Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope1-6 WochenPreparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope1-4 h
Participantsdifferent
Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders4-10Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting3-8
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action PlanDomain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternativesProblem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan
Tags1 shared
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
QualityProblem solvingRoot cause
ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality
Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident
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