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Selected:Competency QuestionsATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Decision MatrixAssumption Surfacing
| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling Competency Questions |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Competency Questions translate a domain model into concrete questions that it must be able to answer. The method keeps the model's scope clean and prevents pretty but useless structures. | 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 options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 45-90 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Competency Question Set, Required Concepts, Test Queries, Coverage Matrix | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | OntologyKnowledge graphScopeRequirementsSemantic | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |