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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Decision Making Option Framing |  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. | The TOWS Matrix connects internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats into action-oriented strategies. It goes a step further than a pure stocktaking. | In early decisions, alternatives are often still vague, incomplete, or blended together. Option Framing brings every possibility into a comparable form and makes visible which variant actually fits the question. | 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 | Medium |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-2 h | 45-120 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-10 | 3-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + 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 | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | StrategyAnalysisOptions | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |