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| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Business Strategy Value Chain Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |  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. | Value Chain Analysis shows where value is created, costs accrue, and differentiation becomes possible along the process. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a value-chain map and lever list. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | 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 | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | Half day | 15-30 min | 45-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-8 | 2-6 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | 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 | Value Chain Map, Lever List | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | StrategyBusiness modelDiagnosisAnalysis | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison |