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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Decision Making Cynefin Workshop |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | When problems are unclear, chaotic, or only seemingly familiar, standard recipes fall short. A Cynefin Workshop sorts situations by the nature of their problem and connects them with matching action logic. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 60-180 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 4-20 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Cynefin Map, Domain-specific Actions, Sensemaking Notes | 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 |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ComplexitySensemakingDecision | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |
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