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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Decision TreeAssumption SurfacingChange Analysis
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  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. | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | 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 | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 30-90 min | 45-90 min | 45-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 1-6 | 2-8 | 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 | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | DecisionTreeOptions | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison |