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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Request for Comments |  Decision Making Force Field 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. | An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale. | In change initiatives, supporting and restraining forces sit at the table at the same time. Force Field Analysis makes these tensions explicit and shows where change can be pushed forward by strengthening or relieving. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-20 Reviewer | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | 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 | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Force Field Map, Change Levers, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | ChangeDecisionStrategy |
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