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Criterion
Paper illustration of Shape Up with its method-specific working model.
Delivery
Shape Up
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Paper illustration with architecture components and concrete change tasks for comparison.
Architecture
SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Purposedifferent
Shape Up helps clarify scope, sequence, and delivery flow. It makes work boundaries and decisions explicit and captures results as pitches, bet-table decisions, and hill charts.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.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
MediumMediumHighLow
Timedifferent
6 Wochen Cycle + 2 Wochen Cool-Down1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur EntscheidungPreparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope15-45 min
Participantsdifferent
2-4 pro Pitch3-20 ReviewerArchitecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting1-3
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncAsyncWorkshop + asyncAsync
Outputdifferent
Pitches, Bet-table decisions, Hill charts, Cooldown outcomesRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or ticketsDomain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternativesADR File, Decision Log, Rationale
Tagsno overlap
PlanningDeliveryAutonomy
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
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