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Selected:Failure Scenario AnalysisSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Change AnalysisFailure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion | ![]() Engineering Failure Scenario Analysis | ![]() Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) | ![]() Operations Change Analysis | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In critical processes, it is not enough to plan only for the normal case. Failure Scenario Analysis looks at the path into failure and shows which failures, chains, and control gaps cause the most damage. | 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 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-120 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-6 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Failure Scenarios, Risk Notes, Control Gaps, Test and Response 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 | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | FailureResilienceRisk | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |



