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Criterion
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Stock and Flow Diagram method illustration showing its working structure
Systems Thinking
Stock and Flow Diagram
A paper-based illustration representing arc42 with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
arc42
Purposedifferent
LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail.A Stock and Flow Diagram shows how stocks, inflows, and outflows shape a system over time. It is especially suited when growth, delays, or capacity limits determine the dynamics.arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighLow
Timedifferent
3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional2-6 h1-2 Tage
Participantsdifferent
1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people1-61-4
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Lean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checksStock and Flow Model, Dynamics Notes, Simulation HypothesesArchitecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean
DynamicsSimulationFeedbackSystems thinking
ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Causal Loop Diagram workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Causal Loop Diagram
Paper illustration of System Dynamics Simulation with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
System Dynamics Simulation
Architecture Communication Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Communication Canvas