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Selected:Consensus WorkshopSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)3-Circle Venn DiagramAlignment Mapping
| Criterion |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Facilitation 3-Circle Venn Diagram |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time. | 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. | When three perspectives matter at the same time, a Three-Circle Venn Diagram shows the overlaps and remainders precisely. It makes visible where shared effect arises and where only a partial perspective applies. | 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 | Medium | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 15-45 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 5-30 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | 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 | Venn Diagram, Overlap Notes, Differentiators | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ComparisonFacilitationAlignment | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |