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Criterion
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Current Reality Tree
Systems Thinking
Current Reality Tree
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Paper illustration for Theory of Constraints Thinking Process.
Systems Thinking
Theory of Constraints Thinking Process
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.A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once.LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail.The Theory of Constraints Thinking Process exposes a system's bottleneck and the logic behind it. It suits situations where many symptoms trace back to the same limiting relationship.
Complexitydifferent
HighHighMediumHigh
Timedifferent
Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope2-6 h3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional0.5-3 Tage
Participantsdifferent
Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders3-81 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people4-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsCurrent Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention IdeasLean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checksCurrent Reality Logic, Conflict Cloud, Future Reality Tree, Implementation Obstacles
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality
ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean
Theory of ConstraintsConstraintsSystems thinkingCausality
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