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Selected:Constraint AnalysisSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Current Reality TreeTheory of Constraints Thinking Process
| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Systems Thinking Theory of Constraints Thinking Process |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | The Theory of Constraints Thinking Process exposes a system's bottleneck and the logic behind it. It suits situations where many symptoms trace back to the same limiting relationship. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | High | High |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 2-6 h | 0.5-3 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-8 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | 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 | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Current Reality Logic, Conflict Cloud, Future Reality Tree, Implementation Obstacles |
Tagsno overlap | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | Theory of ConstraintsConstraintsSystems thinkingCausality |