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| Criterion |  Architecture Request for Comments |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | 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. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 2-6 h | 15-45 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 Reviewer | 3-10 | 1-3 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | Root causeSafetyIncident |