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Selected:Goal Question MetricATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Alignment MappingCounter Metrics
| Criterion |  Engineering Goal Question Metric |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Product Strategy Counter Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Helps clarify technical problems, hypotheses, and next steps in concrete terms. It breaks a technical problem into testable parts. The result is captured as a GQM table and metric briefs. | 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. | 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. | When a headline metric could mask side effects, it adds guardrail signals against unwanted outcomes. It connects customer value, product logic, and decision priorities. The result is captured as a counter-metric list and guardrail definitions. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 90-180 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-2 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-6 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 4-12 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | GQM Table, Metric Profiles | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Counter Metric List, Guardrail Definitions |
Tagsno overlap | MetricsMeasurementEngineeringAlignment | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | MetricsMeasurementStrategyExperiments |