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Selected:Visual ManagementSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Decision Framing WorkshopArchitecture Inception Canvas
| Criterion | ![]() Operations Visual Management | ![]() Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) | ![]() Decision Making Decision Framing Workshop | ![]() Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With high tempo and many parallel topics, the method makes status, deviations, and priorities visible at a glance. It reduces search effort and prevents what matters from getting lost in daily work. | 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 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. | The Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Ongoing | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 60-120 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-20 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Visual Board, Status Indicators, Exception Cues | 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 | Decision Frame, Decision Question, Criteria List, Evidence Plan | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | SignalsOperationsVisual management | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Decision framingAlignmentCriteriaOptions | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |



