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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)McKinsey 7SArchitecture Inception CanvasSoftware Architecture Canvas
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Business Strategy McKinsey 7S |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | The Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. | The Software Architecture Canvas reduces a system to the most important architecture decisions, constraints, and interfaces. It is useful when teams need a resilient overall picture quickly. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 2-4 h | 1-2 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-12 | 3-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | 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 | 7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |