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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Architecture Decision RecordKnowledge MappingViews and Beyond
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Knowledge Modeling Knowledge Mapping |  Architecture Views and Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable. | 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 | High | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 15-45 min | 1-3 h | 1-3 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-3 | 3-12 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
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 | Knowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer Plan | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | KnowledgeMappingRisk | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture |