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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Operations 5 Whys |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | 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. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 15-30 min | 1-3 Tage | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 2-6 | 1-4 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |