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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Change AnalysisCard SortingFailure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Operations Change Analysis |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects 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. | For a deviation after a change, the method isolates the influence of the altered condition. It narrows down which differences are relevant and which are just accompanying noise. | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-120 min | 20-45 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-6 | Based on research question | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
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 | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison | Information architectureNavigationStructure | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |