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| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|
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 several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-90 min | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | 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 | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |
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