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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Trade-off AnalysisLASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)Assumption Surfacing
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Trade-off Analysis |  Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects. | 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. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 45-120 min | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 | 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 | Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides | 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 | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |