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Selected:Value Chain AnalysisViews and BeyondSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Alignment Mapping
| Criterion |  Business Strategy Value Chain Analysis |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Value Chain Analysis shows where value is created, costs accrue, and differentiation becomes possible along the process. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a value-chain map and lever list. | 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. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | Half day | 1-3 Tage | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1-4 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Value Chain Map, Lever List | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | 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 | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyBusiness modelDiagnosisAnalysis | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |