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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)RAID LogATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Architecture Decision Record
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Delivery RAID Log |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  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. | Helps clarify scope, sequence, and delivery flow in concrete terms. It makes work, boundaries, and order steerable. The result is captured as a RAID Log and a source for status reporting. | 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. | 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 | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 30 min Setup, dann laufend | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 1-3 maintaining, briefing for everyone | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | 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 | RAID Log, Status Report Source | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | RiskTrackingStakeholdersGovernance | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |