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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Fishbone DiagramForce Field AnalysisFailure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Decision Making Force Field Analysis |  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. | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | In change initiatives, supporting and restraining forces sit at the table at the same time. Force Field Analysis makes these tensions explicit and shows where change can be pushed forward by strengthening or relieving. | 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 | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 30-60 min | 45-90 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 | 3-12 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | 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 | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Force Field Map, Change Levers, Risk Notes | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Root causeQualityOperations | ChangeDecisionStrategy | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |