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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Operations After-Action Review |  Agile 4Ls Retrospective |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 20-45 min | 45–75 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-12 | Team members involved |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | 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 | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | LearningOperationsImprovement | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam |
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.
