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| Criterion |  Architecture arc42 |  Decision Making Delphi Method |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When knowledge is distributed and direct dominance should be avoided, groups quickly fall under the sway of their opinion leaders. The Delphi Method gathers assessments iteratively and gradually brings expert judgments closer together. | In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 1-4 Wochen | 90-180 min | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 6-30 Experten | 4-12 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Expert Forecast, Consensus Range, Assumption Notes | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ForecastingExpertsDecisionStrategy | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |