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Criterion
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Rich Picture workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Rich Picture
Paper illustration for Failure Mode and Effects 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.A Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early.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
HighLowHigh
Timedifferent
Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope30-90 min2-6 h
Participantsdifferent
Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders2-103-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsRich Picture, Problem Framing NotesFMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization
RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause
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Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for CATWOE Analysis.
Systems Thinking
CATWOE Analysis
Paper fishbone diagram with a measurable effect at the head and six labeled cause branches.
Operations
Fishbone Diagram
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Paper illustration of Scatter Diagram with its method-specific working model.
Operations
Scatter Diagram