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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Growth A/B Testing |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For an improvement that still has to prove itself in everyday work, the method runs it through small learning loops. It connects planning, checking, and standardization into a repeatable learning mode. | When two variants compete, discussions quickly decide by taste rather than effect. A/B Testing checks behavior under controlled conditions and separates real improvement from chance or expectation effects. | When demand only needs to be roughly verified, it tests interest with minimal effort. It measures whether people would take a next step at all. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 1-4 Wochen | 1-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-8 | 1-6 | Nutzertraffic |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | 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 | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Experiment results, Decision log, Learning summary | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | ExperimentsGrowthAnalyticsValidation | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth |