View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
Selected:Request for CommentsCurrent Reality TreeSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Architecture Decision Record
| Criterion |  Architecture Request for Comments |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | 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 | High | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 2-6 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 Reviewer | 3-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |