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Selected:Constraint AnalysisSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Assumption MappingMVP Test Matrix
| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Product Discovery MVP Test Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When several minimal variants compete to answer the same question, it makes comparing and choosing between them cleaner. It separates problem, assumption, solution, and evidence. The result is captured as a Test Matrix and a Test Plan. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-60 min | 45-75 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
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 | Test Matrix, Test Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryOptions |