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| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Architecture Request for Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | 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 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. | 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 | Medium | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 15-45 min | 30-90 min | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 1-3 | 2-8 | 3-20 Reviewer |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionTreeOptions | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance |