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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Operations Change Analysis |  Systems Thinking Evaporating Cloud |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 deviation after a change, the method isolates the influence of the altered condition. It narrows down which differences are relevant and which are just accompanying noise. | The method makes visible why two seemingly incompatible demands arise and which assumption must be tested to resolve the conflict. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 45-120 min | 60-120 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 2-6 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List | Conflict Cloud, Assumption List, Breakthrough Ideas, Next Experiments | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison | Theory of ConstraintsAssumptionsSystems thinking | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |