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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | Polarity Mapping makes tensions between two opposing poles tangible, such as standardization and adaptation or control and autonomy. The method guards against making apparent either-or decisions prematurely. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-2 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-12 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | 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 | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |
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