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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)VRIO FrameworkMcKinsey 7SSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Business Strategy VRIO Framework |  Business Strategy McKinsey 7S |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 VRIO Framework rates resources and capabilities on whether they are Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, and Organized. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a VRIO table and strategic actions. | McKinsey 7S checks whether Strategy, Structure, Systems, Shared Values, Skills, Style, and Staff fit together. Organizational misalignments become visible across multiple levers as a result. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 90-180 min | 2-4 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-6 | 3-12 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | 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 | VRIO Table, Strategic Actions | 7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | StrategyDiagnosisBusiness modelCapability | OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |