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Selected:McKinsey 7SATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)Architecture Communication Canvas
| Criterion |  Business Strategy McKinsey 7S |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | McKinsey 7S checks whether Strategy, Structure, Systems, Shared Values, Skills, Style, and Staff fit together. Organizational misalignments become visible across multiple levers as a result. | 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. | 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. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | 7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | 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 checks | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |