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Selected:Decision MatrixFailure Mode and Effects AnalysisSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Kepner-Tregoe
| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | 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. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | High | High |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 2-6 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | 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 | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |