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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Stakeholder MappingOption FramingAlignment Mapping
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |  Decision Making Option Framing |  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 an initiative depends on many people, interests, and power dynamics, Stakeholder Mapping systematically orders the environment. It shows who influences, who is affected, and where relationship management or safeguarding matters first. | In early decisions, alternatives are often still vague, incomplete, or blended together. Option Framing brings every possibility into a comparable form and makes visible which variant actually fits the question. | 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 | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 60–90 min | 45-120 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 | 3-8 | 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 | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |