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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Architecture C4 Model |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-2 h | 1-4 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-12 | 1-5 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + 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 | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders |