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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Architecture Risk Storming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | Helps clarify architecture context, options, and consequences in concrete terms. It organizes technical context, alternatives, and consequences. The result is captured as an Annotated Diagram, a Prioritized Risk List, and an Action Backlog. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 45-90 min | 45-60 min | 60-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 | 2-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | 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 | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Annotated Diagram, Prioritized Risk List, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | RiskArchitectureWorkshopValidation |