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Selected:Delphi MethodATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Decision Rights MappingAlignment Mapping
| Criterion |  Decision Making Delphi Method |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When knowledge is distributed and direct dominance should be avoided, groups quickly fall under the sway of their opinion leaders. The Delphi Method gathers assessments iteratively and gradually brings expert judgments closer together. | 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 organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. | 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 | High | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-4 Wochen | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 90-180 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 6-30 Experten | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 4-12 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Expert Forecast, Consensus Range, Assumption Notes | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ForecastingExpertsDecisionStrategy | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |