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| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Delphi Method |  Business Strategy McKinsey 7S |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 knowledge is distributed and direct dominance should be avoided, groups quickly fall under the sway of their opinion leaders. The Delphi Method gathers assessments iteratively and gradually brings expert judgments closer together. | McKinsey 7S checks whether Strategy, Structure, Systems, Shared Values, Skills, Style, and Staff fit together. Organizational misalignments become visible across multiple levers as a result. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-4 Wochen | 2-4 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 6-30 Experten | 3-12 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | 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 | Expert Forecast, Consensus Range, Assumption Notes | 7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ForecastingExpertsDecisionStrategy | OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |