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Criterion
Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
Paper illustration of Stakeholder Salience Model with its method-specific working model.
Facilitation
Stakeholder Salience Model
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for DACI
Decision Making
DACI
Purposedifferent
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.When stakeholders appear to matter very differently, the Stakeholder Salience Model rates their actual priority through power, legitimacy, and urgency. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as a Salience diagram and a class-based strategy.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.In cross-functional decisions, responsibilities quickly blur between approval, influence, and execution. DACI arranges these roles so decision pressure, contribution, and information stay cleanly separated.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumHighLow
Timedifferent
45-90 min60-90 minSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope30-60 min
Participantsdifferent
2-83-6Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders2-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected OptionSalience Diagram, Strategy per ClassPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsDACI Matrix, Decision Owner, Decision Log
Tagsno overlap
DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs
StakeholdersFacilitationAlignmentGovernance
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
DecisionRolesGovernanceAlignment
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