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| Criterion |  Product Strategy Impact Mapping |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a goal needs to be connected to several possible paths, it shows chains of impact instead of feature lists. It connects business goal, behavior change, and measures. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-3 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Impact Map, Outcome Hypotheses, Delivery Options | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | OutcomesStrategyBehaviorPlanning | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | StrategyAnalysisPlanning | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |