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Selected:Kepner-TregoeFishbone DiagramATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Root Cause Analysis
| Criterion |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-8 h | 30-60 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | Root causeQualityOperations | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |