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Selected:Fishbone DiagramSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)VRIO FrameworkValue Chain Analysis
| Criterion |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Business Strategy VRIO Framework |  Business Strategy Value Chain Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | 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. | The VRIO Framework rates resources and capabilities on whether they are Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, and Organized. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a VRIO table and strategic actions. | Value Chain Analysis shows where value is created, costs accrue, and differentiation becomes possible along the process. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a value-chain map and lever list. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 90-180 min | Half day |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | 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 | VRIO Table, Strategic Actions | Value Chain Map, Lever List |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeQualityOperations | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | StrategyDiagnosisBusiness modelCapability | StrategyBusiness modelDiagnosisAnalysis |