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| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | 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. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-4 h | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | 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 | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |