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Selected:VRIO FrameworkATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Alignment Mapping
| Criterion |  Business Strategy VRIO Framework |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The VRIO Framework rates resources and capabilities on whether they are Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, and Organized. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a VRIO table and strategic actions. | 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. | 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 | Medium | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 90-180 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-6 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | VRIO Table, Strategic Actions | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | 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 | StrategyDiagnosisBusiness modelCapability | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |