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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |  Decision Making Cynefin Workshop |
|---|---|---|---|
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 several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 45-90 min | 60-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 2-8 | 4-20 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option | Cynefin Map, Domain-specific Actions, Sensemaking Notes |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs | ComplexitySensemakingDecision |
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