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Selected:Root Cause AnalysisFuture Reality TreeSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Root Cause Tree Analysis
| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | 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. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 2-4 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | 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 | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |