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| Criterion |  Architecture arc42 |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |  Facilitation 3-Circle Venn Diagram |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When three perspectives matter at the same time, a Three-Circle Venn Diagram shows the overlaps and remainders precisely. It makes visible where shared effect arises and where only a partial perspective applies. | 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 | Low | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 60–90 min | 15-45 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 2-8 | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes | Venn Diagram, Overlap Notes, Differentiators | 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 | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange | ComparisonFacilitationAlignment | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |