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Selected:Failure Mode and Effects AnalysisFault Tree AnalysisATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Architecture Communication Canvas
| Criterion | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis | ![]() Operations Fault Tree Analysis | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage. | 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. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 2-6 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | RiskRoot causeSafety | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |



