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| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Decision Making DACI |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |  Operations RACI Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | In cross-functional decisions, responsibilities quickly blur between approval, influence, and execution. DACI arranges these roles so decision pressure, contribution, and information stay cleanly separated. | In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. | With unclear responsibilities across several roles or areas, the method creates unambiguous accountability logic. It reduces friction because decision, execution, contribution, and information become separately visible. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 30-60 min | 90-180 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-10 | 4-12 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | 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 | DACI Matrix, Decision Owner, Decision Log | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement | RACI Matrix, Responsibility Map, Decision Notes |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | DecisionRolesGovernanceAlignment | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility | RolesResponsibilityGovernanceOperations |