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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Decision Making Trade-off Analysis |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 45-120 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs |
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