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| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling PARA Method |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Business Strategy McKinsey 7S |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The PARA Method organizes knowledge into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. It creates order when digital notes, files, and tasks no longer cleanly fit current work. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h Setup, laufend | 1-2 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1 | 4-12 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | PARA Structure, Project Notes, Knowledge Archive | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | 7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions |
Tagsno overlap | KnowledgeProductivityOrganization | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange |