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Criterion
Paper illustration of Shape Up with its method-specific working model.
Delivery
Shape Up
Paper illustration for Root Cause Analysis.
Operations
Root Cause Analysis
Paper illustration with architecture components and concrete change tasks for comparison.
Architecture
SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
Purposedifferent
Shape Up helps clarify scope, sequence, and delivery flow. It makes work boundaries and decisions explicit and captures results as pitches, bet-table decisions, and hill charts.When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another.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 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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumHighLow
Timedifferent
6 Wochen Cycle + 2 Wochen Cool-Down1-4 hPreparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope15-30 min
Participantsdifferent
2-4 pro Pitch3-8Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting2-6
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Pitches, Bet-table decisions, Hill charts, Cooldown outcomesProblem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action PlanDomain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternativesRoot cause notes, Countermeasures
Tagsno overlap
PlanningDeliveryAutonomy
Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident
ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
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