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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Operations 8D Problem Solving |  Operations Change Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. | 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. | 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. | For a deviation after a change, the method isolates the influence of the altered condition. It narrows down which differences are relevant and which are just accompanying noise. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-6 Wochen | 45-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-10 | 2-6 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | 8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action Plan | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | QualityProblem solvingRoot cause | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison |