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Criterion
Paper illustration for CATWOE Analysis.
Systems Thinking
CATWOE Analysis
Paper illustration for Constraint Analysis.
Decision Making
Constraint Analysis
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Purposedifferent
CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way.When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped.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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowMedium
Timedifferent
45-90 min30-90 min3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional
Participantsdifferent
3-82-81 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, ConstraintsConstraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision BoundariesLean 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
Tagsno overlap
Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders
ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions
ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean
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Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
Paper illustration of a calibrated five-by-five risk matrix with response cards.
Decision Making
Risk Matrix
Architecture Communication Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Communication Canvas