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| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 90-180 min | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 4-12 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async |
Outputdifferent | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |