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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 System Dynamics Simulation with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
System Dynamics Simulation
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Stock and Flow Diagram method illustration showing its working structure
Systems Thinking
Stock and Flow Diagram
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.System Dynamics Simulation makes assumptions about time, delay, and feedback testable through experiments. It draws relationships, patterns, and feedback loops. The result is captured as a simulation model and scenario reports.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.A Stock and Flow Diagram shows how stocks, inflows, and outflows shape a system over time. It is especially suited when growth, delays, or capacity limits determine the dynamics.
Complexitysame
HighHighHighHigh
Timedifferent
Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scopeMehrere Tage bis WochenSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope2-6 h
Participantsdifferent
Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting1-5 Modellierende, Stakeholder asynchronEvaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders1-6
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncAsyncWorkshop + 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 alternativesSimulation Model, Scenario ReportsPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsStock and Flow Model, Dynamics Notes, Simulation Hypotheses
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality
Systems thinkingDynamicsSimulationAnalysis
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
DynamicsSimulationFeedbackSystems thinking
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