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Selected:Working BackwardsChange AnalysisFailure Mode and Effects AnalysisSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
| Criterion | ![]() Product Discovery Working Backwards | ![]() Operations Change Analysis | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis | ![]() Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | High |
Timedifferent | 4-8 h, mehrere Iterationen | 45-120 min | 2-6 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-6 | 3-10 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Future Press Release, FAQ, Vision Statement | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | 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 |
Tagsno overlap | VisionNarrativeAlignment | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |



