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Criterion
Paper illustration for Evaporating Cloud.
Systems Thinking
Evaporating Cloud
Paper illustration of RAID Log with a method-specific labelled workspace.
Delivery
RAID Log
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Purposedifferent
The method makes visible why two seemingly incompatible demands arise and which assumption must be tested to resolve the conflict.Helps clarify scope, sequence, and delivery flow in concrete terms. It makes work, boundaries, and order steerable. The result is captured as a RAID Log and a source for status reporting.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.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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowLowHigh
Timedifferent
60-120 min30 min Setup, dann laufend45-90 minSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope
Participantsdifferent
2-81-3 maintaining, briefing for everyone2-8Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders
Formatdifferent
WorkshopAsyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Conflict Cloud, Assumption List, Breakthrough Ideas, Next ExperimentsRAID Log, Status Report SourceAssumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning PlanPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations
Tagsno overlap
Theory of ConstraintsAssumptionsSystems thinking
RiskTrackingStakeholdersGovernance
AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
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