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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)5-Minuten VC-CheckATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Risk Storming
| Criterion | ![]() Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) | ![]() Business Strategy 5-Minuten VC-Check | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Architecture Risk Storming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | The 5-Minute VC Check clarifies opportunities and strategic options at the earliest idea stage. It compares problem quality, customer willingness to pay, alternatives, differentiation, and market potential, and captures the result as a VC-check note, go/sharpen/park decision, and risk list. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | Helps clarify architecture context, options, and consequences in concrete terms. It organizes technical context, alternatives, and consequences. The result is captured as an Annotated Diagram, a Prioritized Risk List, and an Action Backlog. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 5-15 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 60-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 1-5 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | 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 | VC-check note, Go/sharpen/park decision, Risk and assumption list, Next validation step | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Annotated Diagram, Prioritized Risk List, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | StartupValidationCompetition | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | RiskArchitectureWorkshopValidation |



