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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. | 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. | 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 | High | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 1-3 Tage | 1-2 Tage | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |