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Selected:Fault IsolationBusiness Model Stress TestATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Alignment Mapping
| Criterion | ![]() Engineering Fault Isolation | ![]() Business Strategy Business Model Stress Test | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In technical failures, the visible symptom often gets mixed up with the actual cause. Fault Isolation narrows the fault space and progressively reduces which part of the system is truly affected. | A Business Model Stress Test checks how well a business model holds up under pressure and headwinds. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a stress-test report and action plan per scenario. | 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. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-180 min | Half day | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 3-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Fault Isolation Map, Test Log, Excluded Hypotheses, Narrowed Fault Area | Stress Test Report, Action Plan per Scenario | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | TroubleshootingDiagnosisEngineering | StrategyBusiness modelRiskDiagnosis | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |



