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Selected:Value Chain AnalysisFault IsolationSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Change Analysis
| Criterion | ![]() Business Strategy Value Chain Analysis | ![]() Engineering Fault Isolation | ![]() Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) | ![]() Operations Change Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | In technical failures, the visible symptom often gets mixed up with the actual cause. Fault Isolation narrows the fault space and progressively reduces which part of the system is truly affected. | 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 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 | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | Half day | 30-180 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1-6 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Value Chain Map, Lever List | Fault Isolation Map, Test Log, Excluded Hypotheses, Narrowed Fault Area | 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 | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyBusiness modelDiagnosisAnalysis | TroubleshootingDiagnosisEngineering | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison |



