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Selected:Pre-MortemSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Architecture Communication Canvasarc42
| Criterion |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. | 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 | Low | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 20–45 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 60-120 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Small cross-functional group | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |