View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)arc42Acceptance Criteria WorkshopSpecification by Example
| Criterion | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() 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. | 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 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 | 1-2 Tage | 20-40 min pro Story | 60-90 min pro Feature |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-4 | 3-6 | 3-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + 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 | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Acceptance Criteria, Story Update | Example Table, Acceptance Tests |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | AgileRequirementsRefinementBehavior-Driven Development | AgileRequirementsExamplesBehavior-Driven Development |



