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Criterion
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Paper illustration for Communication Plan
Delivery
Communication Plan
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Purposedifferent
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.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.When many people need to be informed in parallel and messages would otherwise arrive unevenly or too late, a Communication Plan orders communication reliably. Channels, audiences, and cadences interlock so important information doesn't get lost.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
LowMediumLowLow
Timedifferent
20–45 min1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung45-90 min15-45 min
Participantsdifferent
Small cross-functional group3-20 Reviewer2-61-3
Formatdifferent
WorkshopAsyncWorkshop + asyncAsync
Outputdifferent
Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption logRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or ticketsCommunication Plan, Channel Matrix, Message CadenceADR File, Decision Log, Rationale
Tagsno overlap
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
CommunicationStakeholdersDeliveryPlanning
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
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