View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | A Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. | 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. |
Complexitysame | High | High | High |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 2-4 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | 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 | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |
Often compared together
Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.
