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Selected:Working BackwardsATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Failure Mode and Effects AnalysisAlignment Mapping
| Criterion |  Product Discovery Working Backwards |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When the target state and benefit need to be clear first, it thinks backward from the desired outcome into the product logic. It sharpens vision, objections, and value proposition before elaboration. | 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. | 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. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 4-8 h, mehrere Iterationen | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 2-6 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-10 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Future Press Release, FAQ, Vision Statement | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | VisionNarrativeAlignment | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |