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Selected:Working BackwardsRoot Cause AnalysisSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Root Cause Tree Analysis
| Criterion |  Product Discovery Working Backwards |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 4-8 h, mehrere Iterationen | 1-4 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Future Press Release, FAQ, Vision Statement | 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 | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | VisionNarrativeAlignment | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |