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Selected:Software Architecture CanvasATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Decision MatrixLASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
| Criterion |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |  Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The Software Architecture Canvas reduces a system to the most important architecture decisions, constraints, and interfaces. It is useful when teams need a resilient overall picture quickly. | 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. | When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. | LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 45-90 min | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 | 1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option | Lean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checks |
Tagsno overlap | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean |