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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Architecture Decision RecordAcceptance Criteria WorkshopSpecification by Example
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Agile Acceptance Criteria Workshop |  Agile Specification by Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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 a story needs clear checkpoints before implementation, it sharpens expectation and scope together. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as Acceptance Criteria and a Story Update. | When business rules need to become precise, it ties language, example, and test together. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as an Example Table and Acceptance Tests. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 15-45 min | 20-40 min pro Story | 60-90 min pro Feature |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-3 | 3-6 | 3-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Acceptance Criteria, Story Update | Example Table, Acceptance Tests |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | AgileRequirementsRefinementBehavior-Driven Development | AgileRequirementsExamplesBehavior-Driven Development |