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| Criterion |  Agile WSJF |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Pareto Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When many tasks compete for the same capacity, it orders work by economic impact. It makes time lost, benefit, and effort comparable together. | 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. | In many problem situations, effect is distributed unequally across many causes. A Pareto Analysis separates the few drivers with high leverage from the long remainder and focuses attention on what measurably moves the needle. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 30-60 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-6 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Ranked Backlog, Cost-of-Delay Assumptions | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Pareto Chart, Top Causes, Focus List | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | LeanEconomicsSequencePrioritization | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | PrioritizationQualityFocusRoot cause | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |