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| Criterion | ![]() Delivery Value Stream Mapping | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Architecture Request for Comments | ![]() Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When delivery work dissolves into wait times, handoffs, and hidden effort, Value Stream Mapping makes the actual flow visible. The method exposes bottlenecks, idle time, and feedback loops so lead time and improvement levers become tangible. | 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. | 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. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 15-45 min | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 1-3 | 3-20 Reviewer | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |



