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| Criterion |  Agile Bucket System |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Agile Affinity Estimation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a large batch of work needs a fast, rough estimate, it sorts items into predefined size buckets. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as a Bucketed Backlog, Relative Estimates, and Split Candidates. | 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 statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | When many tasks need to be classified quickly, it sorts them by perceived effort and similarity. It reduces the effort of fine-grained estimation for large volumes. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 15-45 min | 1-3 h | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 1-3 | 1-8 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Bucketed Backlog, Relative Estimates, Split Candidates | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Affinity Size Map, Grouped Estimates, Unclear Items |
Tagsno overlap | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | SensemakingDecisionRationale | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing |