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Criterion
Paper illustration of a horizontal story map with an activity backbone, task cards below it and a cross-map release line.
Product Discovery
User Story Mapping
Paper illustration for 8D Problem Solving.
Operations
8D Problem Solving
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Root Cause Analysis.
Operations
Root Cause Analysis
Purposedifferent
When user goals and delivery scope could drift apart, it orders the journey from goal to slice. It makes visible where an MVP can genuinely be cut.For an acute quality or delivery problem, the method structures immediate protection and root cause work together. It keeps the situation stable while the actual cause is investigated cleanly.ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation.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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighHighMedium
Timedifferent
2-4 h1-6 WochenSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope1-4 h
Participantsdifferent
4-104-10Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders3-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Story Map, Release Slices, Backlog Candidates8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action PlanPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsProblem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan
Tagsno overlap
BacklogJourneyPlanningMVP
QualityProblem solvingRoot cause
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident
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