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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Cost of DelayAlignment MappingForce Field Analysis
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Delivery Cost of Delay |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Decision Making Force Field 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. | Helps clarify scope, order, and delivery flow in concrete terms. It makes work, constraints, and sequence manageable. The result is captured as a Cost of Delay table and prioritization sequence. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | In change initiatives, supporting and restraining forces sit at the table at the same time. Force Field Analysis makes these tensions explicit and shows where change can be pushed forward by strengthening or relieving. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 90-180 min | 1-2 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-8 | 4-12 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
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 | CoD Table, Prioritization Sequence | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Force Field Map, Change Levers, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | PrioritizationDeliveryEconomicsDecision | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | ChangeDecisionStrategy |