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Selected:Architecture Decision RecordAffinity EstimationATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Views and Beyond
| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Agile Affinity Estimation |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Views and Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | When many tasks need to be classified quickly, it sorts them by perceived effort and similarity. It reduces the effort of fine-grained estimation for large volumes. | 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. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 30-90 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-3 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 3-12 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Affinity Size Map, Grouped Estimates, Unclear Items | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture |