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Criterion
Paper illustration of RAID Log with a method-specific labelled workspace.
Delivery
RAID Log
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Paper illustration for Trade-off Analysis.
Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Purposedifferent
Helps clarify scope, sequence, and delivery flow in concrete terms. It makes work, boundaries, and order steerable. The result is captured as a RAID Log and a source for status reporting.An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale.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
LowMediumMediumHigh
Timedifferent
30 min Setup, dann laufend1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung45-120 minSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope
Participantsdifferent
1-3 maintaining, briefing for everyone3-20 Reviewer2-8Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders
Formatdifferent
AsyncAsyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
RAID Log, Status Report SourceRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or ticketsTrade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted DownsidesPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations
Tagsno overlap
RiskTrackingStakeholdersGovernance
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
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