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| Criterion | ![]() Product Strategy DIBB | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | DIBB helps clarify target groups, value, goals, and priorities by making the logic behind a decision explicit. It captures results as a DIBB document, belief list, bet list, and learning report. | 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. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | 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 | Low | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-2 Tage | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-4 | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | DIBB document, Belief list, Bet list, Learning report | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyDecisionAssumptionsHypothesis | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |



