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Selected:Working BackwardsChange AnalysisRoot Cause AnalysisSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
| Criterion |  Product Discovery Working Backwards |  Operations Change Analysis |  Operations Root Cause 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 4-8 h, mehrere Iterationen | 45-120 min | 1-4 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-6 | 3-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Future Press Release, FAQ, Vision Statement | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | 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 | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |