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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Delivery Communication Plan |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 delivery work dissolves into wait times, handoffs, and hidden effort, Value Stream Mapping makes the actual flow visible. The method exposes bottlenecks, idle time, and feedback loops so lead time and improvement levers become tangible. | When many people need to be informed in parallel and messages would otherwise arrive unevenly or too late, a Communication Plan orders communication reliably. Channels, audiences, and cadences interlock so important information doesn't get lost. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 4-10 | 2-6 | 1-4 |
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 | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Communication Plan, Channel Matrix, Message Cadence | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | CommunicationStakeholdersDeliveryPlanning | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |