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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Fishbone DiagramValue Chain AnalysisFailure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Operations Fishbone Diagram | ![]() Business Strategy Value Chain Analysis | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects 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. | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | Value Chain Analysis shows where value is created, costs accrue, and differentiation becomes possible along the process. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a value-chain map and lever list. | 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 | High | Low | High | High |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 30-60 min | Half day | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 | 3-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Value Chain Map, Lever List | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | Root causeQualityOperations | StrategyBusiness modelDiagnosisAnalysis | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |



