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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Risk StormingConsensus WorkshopATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Architecture Risk Storming |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | When a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 60-90 min | 1-3 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-12 | 5-30 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + 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 | Annotated Diagram, Prioritized Risk List, Action Backlog | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | RiskArchitectureWorkshopValidation | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders |