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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Innovation TRIZ |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-4 h | 45-90 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 | 2-5 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | 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 | Contradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |