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Selected:Change AnalysisValue Chain AnalysisFishbone DiagramSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
| Criterion |  Operations Change Analysis |  Business Strategy Value Chain Analysis |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  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. | Value Chain Analysis shows where value is created, costs accrue, and differentiation becomes possible along the process. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a value-chain map and lever list. | 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. | 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 | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | Half day | 30-60 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-8 | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List | Value Chain Map, Lever List | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | 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 | StrategyBusiness modelDiagnosisAnalysis | Root causeQualityOperations | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |