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| Criterion | ![]() Engineering Failure Scenario Analysis | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Decision Making Pre-Mortem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In critical processes, it is not enough to plan only for the normal case. Failure Scenario Analysis looks at the path into failure and shows which failures, chains, and control gaps cause the most damage. | 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. | In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-2 Tage | 15-45 min | 20–45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1-4 | 1-3 | Small cross-functional group |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Failure Scenarios, Risk Notes, Control Gaps, Test and Response Actions | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log |
Tagsno overlap | FailureResilienceRisk | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning |



