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Reviewing Software Systems

with the Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews - LASR

This book is 80% completeLast updated on 2026-06-25
Stefan Zörner and Stefan Toth

This book introduces LASR – the Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews in a practical and in-depth way. It provides detailed insights into how the method works, real-world examples, guidance on using support materials, and practical tips for your own reviews.

This book is a translation into English of Software-Systeme reviewen which was originally written in German

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About

About

About the Book

This book introduces LASR – the Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews in a practical and in-depth way. It provides detailed insights into how the method works, real-world examples, guidance on using support materials, and practical tips for your own reviews.

Architecture evaluations help uncover weaknesses and opportunities in software solutions, validate decisions, and guide improvements. In approximately 150 pages, this book takes you from the fundamentals to more advanced topics, giving you everything you need to start applying LASR effectively.

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This book is a translation into English of Software-Systeme reviewen which was originally written in German

Author

About the Authors

Stefan Zörner

From the Bayer AG via IBM and oose to embarc. Stefan Zörner has twenty years of experience in IT and still looks forward to the future with excitement. He supports clients in solving architecture and implementation problems. In interesting workshops he demonstrates how to use practical design tools as well as spreading enthusiasm for real life architectural work.

Stefan Toth

Stefan Toth is the CEO and Consultant of embarc Software Consulting GmbH. He focuses on the design and implementation of medium- to big-sized software solutions, the evaluation of software architectures, and the connection of these topics to agile practices. He is known as the author of various articles and a book on agile architecture pracitices named „Vorgehensmuster für Softwarearchitektur".

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Contents

Table of Contents

How to Use This Book

  1. The Icons in This Book
  2. Information
  3. Practical tip
  4. Interested in a quick discussion?
  5. Supporting materials
  6. We Value Your Feedback

Background

  1. Why This Book?

From Gut Feeling to Lightweight Software Reviews

  1. Definition
  2. A Modern Perspective
  3. What You Need to Know About Software Reviews
  4. The “Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews” – LASR
  5. I. Understand What Makes You Special
  6. II. Explore Your Architecture
  7. Iterative Application
  8. Advanced Practices
  9. LASR Step by Step
  10. Part 1.

I. Understand What Makes You Special

  1. No Such Thing as ‘Average’
  2. Step 1: A Lean Mission Statement
  3. The Landing Page Metaphor
  4. Example Statements from a Landing Page
  5. How to Define a Lean Mission Statement
  6. Example Brainstorming Result: Claims for Netflix
  7. Practical tip
  8. Step 2: Defining Your Evaluation Criteria
  9. What Makes a Good Evaluation Benchmark?
  10. When are Systems Replaced?
  11. Example: Quality Goals from Threema
  12. Establishing Evaluation Criteria with the “Top-5 Challenger” Method
  13. Game Rules: Top-5 Challenger
  14. Support Material: Quality Attribute Cards
  15. Capturing Specific Statements and Arguments
  16. Defining the Green (Target) Line
  17. Practical tip
  18. Practical Tip
  19. Stay Goal-Oriented and Be Confident!
  20. Practical Tip

II. Explore Your Architecture

  1. How Does System Analysis Generally Work?
  2. The Review Concept of LASR
  3. Steps 3 and 4 Summarized
  4. Step 3: Risk-based Review
  5. Let’s Get Started: Setting the Stage!
  6. Identify Relevant Risks
  7. Supporting materials: Risk Cards
  8. Suspected Reasons for Failure, gathered from 500+ Software Systems
  9. Keep track of specific problems
  10. From Risks To Gaps
  11. Your First Review Result - LASR Result 1.0
  12. Want to stop at this point?
  13. Step 4: Quality-focused Analysis
  14. Determining Focus Topics / Goal Axes
  15. Deeper Analysis
  16. What is particularly important?
  17. Types of Quality Statements
  18. Example
  19. Example
  20. Overachievement is relevant
  21. LASR Result 2.0
  22. Be Critical but Fair!
  23. Collaboration in LASR Workshops
  24. Part 2.

The Right Group Size

  1. Where Does the Data Come From?

LASR as a Collaborative Format

  1. Shared Charter
  2. Clarify the Goal: Why Are We Here?
  3. Enable Participation
  4. Use Structural Aids
  5. Become Aware of Group Dynamics
  6. Roles and Ranks
  7. Bias

LASR in Larger Groups

  1. Facilitation: Attitude Before Method
  2. Understanding Group Processes
  3. Tipps for Individual LASR Steps
  4. Step 1: A Lean Mission Statement
  5. Step 2: Defining Your Evaluation Criteria
  6. Step 3: Risk-based Review
  7. Step 4: Quality-focused Analysis
  8. Risks and Limitations

When to look for External Help

  1. Appendix
  2. Appendix

Case Study DB Systel: Shaping Architectural Work Together

  1. DB Systel: Digitalization for the Entire Group
  2. Starting Point
  3. Our LASR Experience
  4. Insights and Tips

References

About the Authors

  1. Stefan Toth
  2. Contact
  3. Stefan Zörner
  4. Contact

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