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Selected:TOWS MatrixSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Option FramingDecision Framing Workshop
| Criterion |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Option Framing |  Decision Making Decision Framing Workshop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The TOWS Matrix connects internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats into action-oriented strategies. It goes a step further than a pure stocktaking. | 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. | 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 a decision is poorly framed, even good answers deliver little value. A Decision Framing Workshop sharpens the problem, goal, and boundaries before the actual weighing begins. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-120 min | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-8 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | 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 | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | Decision Frame, Decision Question, Criteria List, Evidence Plan |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisOptions | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | Decision framingAlignmentCriteriaOptions |