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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture Request for Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | 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. | An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 15-45 min | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1-3 | 3-20 Reviewer |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance |
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