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| Criterion |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Force Field Analysis |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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 change initiatives, supporting and restraining forces sit at the table at the same time. Force Field Analysis makes these tensions explicit and shows where change can be pushed forward by strengthening or relieving. | In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 45-90 min | 20–45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-12 | Small cross-functional group |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Force Field Map, Change Levers, Risk Notes | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisPlanning | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ChangeDecisionStrategy | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning |