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Criterion
Paper illustration with architecture components and concrete change tasks for comparison.
Architecture
SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
Paper illustration of a SWOT matrix with four separated quadrants and marked strategic options.
Business Strategy
SWOT Analysis
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration of a two-by-two Ansoff Matrix with four growth directions
Business Strategy
Ansoff Matrix
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.SWOT Analysis arranges strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats into a compact picture of the situation. It keeps internal capabilities and external influences separate before strategic options emerge from them.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.The Ansoff Matrix organizes growth options by market and product relation. It helps weigh expansion, diversification, and adaptation cleanly against each other.
Complexitydifferent
HighLowHighLow
Timedifferent
Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope30-60 minSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting3-12Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders2-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + 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 alternativesSWOT matrix, Strategic options, Action listPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsAnsoff Matrix, Growth Options, Risk Notes
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality
StrategyAnalysisMarketPositioning
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
GrowthStrategyMarketPortfolio
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