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Selected:Decision MatrixRoot Cause AnalysisATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Kepner-Tregoe
| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff 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. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | 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 | Medium | High | High |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 1-4 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |