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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Risk MatrixLASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)Decision Matrix
| Criterion | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Decision Making Risk Matrix | ![]() Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) | ![]() Decision Making Decision Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When a project faces many possible disruptions, it quickly becomes unclear which risks deserve attention first. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Risk Matrix and a Top Risk List. | LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail. | When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 30-60 min | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-10 | 1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | 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 | Risk Matrix, Top Risk List | Lean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checks | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | RiskDecisionPrioritizationAssessment | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs |



