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| Criterion |  Product Discovery Working Backwards |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Business Strategy McKinsey 7S |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When the target state and benefit need to be clear first, it thinks backward from the desired outcome into the product logic. It sharpens vision, objections, and value proposition before elaboration. | 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. | McKinsey 7S checks whether Strategy, Structure, Systems, Shared Values, Skills, Style, and Staff fit together. Organizational misalignments become visible across multiple levers as a result. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 4-8 h, mehrere Iterationen | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-2 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-12 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Future Press Release, FAQ, Vision Statement | 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 | 7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions |
Tagsno overlap | VisionNarrativeAlignment | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange |