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Criterion
Paper illustration with architecture components and concrete change tasks for comparison.
Architecture
SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
Paper illustration for Decision Framing Workshop.
Decision Making
Decision Framing Workshop
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.When a decision is poorly framed, even good answers deliver little value. A Decision Framing Workshop sharpens the problem, goal, and boundaries before the actual weighing begins.
Complexitydifferent
HighMediumMedium
Timedifferent
Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope45-90 min60-120 min
Participantsdifferent
Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting2-84-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
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 alternativesDecision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected OptionDecision Frame, Decision Question, Criteria List, Evidence Plan
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality
DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs
Decision framingAlignmentCriteriaOptions
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Paper illustration for Trade-off Analysis.
Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Option Framing.
Decision Making
Option Framing
Paper illustration for 3-Circle Venn Diagram
Facilitation
3-Circle Venn Diagram