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| Criterion |  Architecture arc42 |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | When an initiative depends on many people, interests, and power dynamics, Stakeholder Mapping systematically orders the environment. It shows who influences, who is affected, and where relationship management or safeguarding matters first. | 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. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 60–90 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes | 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 | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |