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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Current Reality TreeCausal Factor AnalysisChange Analysis
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations Change 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 Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 2-6 h | 2-6 h | 45-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-8 | 3-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | 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 | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison |