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| Criterion |  Architecture arc42 |  Business Strategy Balanced Scorecard |  Product Strategy Counter Metrics |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | Balanced Scorecard translates strategy into a few interconnected perspectives and metrics. It holds impact, steering, and learning together in daily work instead of narrowing strategy down to financial figures. | When a headline metric could mask side effects, it adds guardrail signals against unwanted outcomes. It connects customer value, product logic, and decision priorities. The result is captured as a counter-metric list and guardrail definitions. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | Halber Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 30-60 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 4-12 | 2-6 | 1-5 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Balanced Scorecard, Strategic Measures, Initiative Map | Counter Metric List, Guardrail Definitions | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | StrategyMetricsExecution | MetricsMeasurementStrategyExperiments | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |