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| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | 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. | 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 | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | 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 List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionTreeOptions | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |
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