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Criterion
Paper illustration with architecture components and concrete change tasks for comparison.
Architecture
SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Paper illustration of Stakeholder Salience Model with its method-specific working model.
Facilitation
Stakeholder Salience Model
Stakeholder Mapping
Facilitation
Stakeholder Mapping
Purposedifferent
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.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.When stakeholders appear to matter very differently, the Stakeholder Salience Model rates their actual priority through power, legitimacy, and urgency. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as a Salience diagram and a class-based strategy.When an initiative depends on many people, interests, and power dynamics, Stakeholder Mapping systematically orders the environment. It shows who influences, who is affected, and where relationship management or safeguarding matters first.
Complexitydifferent
HighLowMediumLow
Timedifferent
Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope15-45 min60-90 min60–90 min
Participantsdifferent
Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting1-33-62-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncAsyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
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 alternativesADR File, Decision Log, RationaleSalience Diagram, Strategy per ClassStakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
StakeholdersFacilitationAlignmentGovernance
StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange
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