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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Behavior Over Time GraphRoot Cause AnalysisFamily Tree Analysis
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Systems Thinking Behavior Over Time Graph |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations Family Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | A Behavior Over Time Graph shows how a metric or observation develops over time. The method makes trends, breaks, and recurring patterns visible that get lost in snapshots. | 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 series of incidents with a similar pattern, the method arranges individual events as branches of a common origin. It makes visible which conditions keep recurring. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 20-45 min | 1-4 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 1-10 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | 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 | Behavior Over Time Graph, Trend Hypotheses, Key Events | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Family Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic Measures |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Systems thinkingPatternsDynamics | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic |