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| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | GAP Analysis compares the current state with a target picture and makes the distance manageable. It becomes useful when, ahead of new initiatives, it must become clear which capabilities, processes, or resources are missing. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 30-90 min | 30-90 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 | 1-6 | 2-8 |
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 | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | DecisionTreeOptions | StrategyAnalysisPlanning |