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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)PDCA CycleArchitecture Decision RecordViews and Beyond
| Criterion | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Operations PDCA Cycle | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Architecture Views and Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 15-45 min | 1-3 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-8 | 1-3 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | 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 | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture |



