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Selected:Trade-off AnalysisArchitecture Decision RecordViews and BeyondATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
| Criterion |  Decision Making Trade-off Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 15-45 min | 1-3 Tage | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-3 | 1-4 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations |
Tagsno overlap | TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders |