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| Criterion |  Decision Making Option Framing |  Decision Making Trade-off Analysis |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In early decisions, alternatives are often still vague, incomplete, or blended together. Option Framing brings every possibility into a comparable form and makes visible which variant actually fits the question. | With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 45-120 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations |
Tagsno overlap | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders |
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