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| Criterion |  Decision Making Risk Matrix |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a project faces many possible disruptions, it quickly becomes unclear which risks deserve attention first. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Risk Matrix and a Top Risk List. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 15-45 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1-3 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Risk Matrix, Top Risk List | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | 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 |
Tagsno overlap | RiskDecisionPrioritizationAssessment | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.
