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| Criterion |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | 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. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 15-45 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-3 | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeQualityOperations | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |
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