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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Pre-MortemFailure Mode and Effects AnalysisFishbone Diagram
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 20–45 min | 2-6 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | Small cross-functional group | 3-10 | 2-8 |
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 | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeQualityOperations |