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Selected:Causal Loop DiagramATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Views and BeyondStock and Flow Diagram
| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Systems Thinking Stock and Flow Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. | 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. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. | A Stock and Flow Diagram shows how stocks, inflows, and outflows shape a system over time. It is especially suited when growth, delays, or capacity limits determine the dynamics. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-3 Tage | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-4 | 1-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Stock and Flow Model, Dynamics Notes, Simulation Hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | DynamicsSimulationFeedbackSystems thinking |