View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Operations Change Analysis |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 30-90 min | 1-2 Tage | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-8 | 1-4 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | 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 |
Tagsno overlap | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |