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| Criterion | ![]() Decision Making Radar | ![]() Decision Making Pre-Mortem | ![]() Decision Making Decision Matrix | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When capabilities, maturity levels, or market positions need to be compared across several dimensions, overview is easily lost. Radar brings different characteristics into a shared picture and shows patterns faster than tables do. | 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. | When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. | 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 | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 20–45 min | 45-90 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | Small cross-functional group | 2-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Radar Map, Capability Scores, Action Areas | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option | 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 | AssessmentPortfolioCapability | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders |



