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Selected:Constraint AnalysisSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Assumption MappingLASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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 assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | 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 | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-60 min | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 | 1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | 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 | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Lean 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 | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean |