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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Knowledge Modeling Competency Questions |  Delivery Communication Plan |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Competency Questions translate a domain model into concrete questions that it must be able to answer. The method keeps the model's scope clean and prevents pretty but useless structures. | When many people need to be informed in parallel and messages would otherwise arrive unevenly or too late, a Communication Plan orders communication reliably. Channels, audiences, and cadences interlock so important information doesn't get lost. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 2-4 h | 45-90 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 | 2-6 | 1-4 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | 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 | Competency Question Set, Required Concepts, Test Queries, Coverage Matrix | Communication Plan, Channel Matrix, Message Cadence | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | OntologyKnowledge graphScopeRequirementsSemantic | CommunicationStakeholdersDeliveryPlanning | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |