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Selected:Risk MatrixViews and BeyondATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Architecture Decision Record
| Criterion |  Decision Making Risk Matrix |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 1-3 Tage | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1-4 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Risk Matrix, Top Risk List | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | RiskDecisionPrioritizationAssessment | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |