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Criterion
Visual Management workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
Visual Management
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Paper illustration for Argument Mapping
Decision Making
Argument Mapping
Purposedifferent
With high tempo and many parallel topics, the method makes status, deviations, and priorities visible at a glance. It reduces search effort and prevents what matters from getting lost in daily work.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.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.When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumLowMedium
Timedifferent
Ongoing1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung15-45 min1-3 h
Participantsdifferent
1-203-20 Reviewer1-31-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncAsyncAsyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Visual Board, Status Indicators, Exception CuesRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or ticketsADR File, Decision Log, RationaleArgument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale
Tagsno overlap
SignalsOperationsVisual management
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
SensemakingDecisionRationale
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