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 |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  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 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. | 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 | 30-60 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 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | 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 | Root causeQualityOperations | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |