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| Criterion | ![]() Business Strategy GAP Analysis | ![]() Decision Making Assumption Surfacing | ![]() Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | GAP Analysis compares the current state with a target picture and makes the distance manageable. It becomes useful when, ahead of new initiatives, it must become clear which capabilities, processes, or resources are missing. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | 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 |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisPlanning | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |
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