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| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Delivery Communication Plan |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | When many people need to be informed in parallel and messages would otherwise arrive unevenly or too late, a Communication Plan orders communication reliably. Channels, audiences, and cadences interlock so important information doesn't get lost. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 30-90 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 | 2-6 | 1-4 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + 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 alternatives | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Communication Plan, Channel Matrix, Message Cadence | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | CommunicationStakeholdersDeliveryPlanning | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |