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Selected:Request for CommentsDecision Rights MappingSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Architecture Inception Canvas
| Criterion |  Architecture Request for Comments |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. | 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 Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 90-180 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 Reviewer | 4-12 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement | 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 | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |