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| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Architecture arc42 |  Decision Making Trade-off Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects. | 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 | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 1-2 Tage | 45-120 min | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 1-4 | 2-8 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionTreeOptions | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |