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Criterion
Stakeholder Mapping
Facilitation
Stakeholder Mapping
Paper illustration for Alignment Mapping.
Facilitation
Alignment Mapping
Paper illustration with architecture components and concrete change tasks for comparison.
Architecture
SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for 3-Circle Venn Diagram
Facilitation
3-Circle Venn Diagram
Purposedifferent
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.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.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 three perspectives matter at the same time, a Three-Circle Venn Diagram shows the overlaps and remainders precisely. It makes visible where shared effect arises and where only a partial perspective applies.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumHighLow
Timedifferent
60–90 min1-2 hPreparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope15-45 min
Participantsdifferent
2-84-12Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting2-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk NotesAlignment Map, Open Issues, Decision QuestionsDomain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternativesVenn Diagram, Overlap Notes, Differentiators
Tagsno overlap
StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange
AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation
ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality
ComparisonFacilitationAlignment
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