methodatlas
Compare

View methods side by side.

Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.

Criterion
Paper scorecard with four perspectives, connected objective cards and columns for measures, targets and initiatives.
Business Strategy
Balanced Scorecard
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Alignment Mapping.
Facilitation
Alignment Mapping
Purposedifferent
Balanced Scorecard translates strategy into a few interconnected perspectives and metrics. It holds impact, steering, and learning together in daily work instead of narrowing strategy down to financial figures.An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable.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 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
HighLowHighMedium
Timedifferent
Halber Tag bis mehrere Wochen15-45 minSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope1-2 h
Participantsdifferent
4-121-3Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders4-12
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncAsyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Balanced Scorecard, Strategic Measures, Initiative MapADR File, Decision Log, RationalePrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsAlignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions
Tagsno overlap
StrategyMetricsExecution
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation
Add more methods