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Selected:Future Reality TreeAssumption SurfacingSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Evaporating Cloud
| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Systems Thinking Evaporating Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | 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 method makes visible why two seemingly incompatible demands arise and which assumption must be tested to resolve the conflict. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 45-90 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | 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 | Conflict Cloud, Assumption List, Breakthrough Ideas, Next Experiments |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Theory of ConstraintsAssumptionsSystems thinking |