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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Architecture arc42 |  Operations Change Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-2 Tage | 45-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 1-4 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | 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 | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison |