A Guide to Structured Decision-Making.
Architecture Decision Records (in short "ADRs") are a lightweight documentation approach to capture and communicate technical decisions in a structured way. They ensure that important architectural choices are well-documented, providing historical context and rationale for future reference. ADRs promote transparency, alignment, and accountability in software development teams.
An Architecture Decision Record (ADR) is a short, structured document that captures an architectural decision, its context, and its consequences. The ADR format was first introduced by Michael Nygard in his book Release It!, where he proposed a structured method for recording architecture decisions to improve knowledge sharing and decision tracking over time.
ADRs are traditionally stored in version control alongside the codebase, ensuring they evolve with the project and remain easily accessible to all stakeholders.
Without ADRs, important decisions often get lost in Slack threads, Issues, emails, or informal discussions, making it difficult for teams to track the evolution of their architecture. ADRs solve this by providing:
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ADRs ensure that engineering decisions are:
Straion takes ADRs a step further by providing a centralized platform for working on collaborative engineering decisions like Architecture Decision Records. It is designed to make the decision-making process structured, transparent, and efficient, with built-in support for review, collaboration, and approval workflows.
Approval Flow Based on a Dedicated DACI Model: Straion incorporates the DACI (Driver, Approver, Contributor, Informed) model to ensure that all stakeholders have clear roles in the decision-making process.
This model prevents decision fatigue and unstructured discussions by assigning responsibilities at each stage of the decision.
Git-Like Approval Flow Decisions move through well-defined stages: Draft → Request for Comments → Complete.
This ensures that decisions are reviewed collaboratively and finalized only when all necessary feedback has been incorporated.
Built-in Due Date Management Set deadlines for decisions to avoid stagnation and ensure engineering decisions progress within a defined timeline.
Helps prevent long-standing, unresolved discussions and unfinalized ADRs.
Advanced Collaboration Features Users can comment, suggest edits, and propose alternative solutions directly in the decision document.
Stakeholders receive notifications for relevant changes, ensuring that discussions remain active and productive.
Seamless Integration With Engineering Workflows Unlike static document-based solutions like Google Docs or Confluence, Straion integrates directly into Slack, Git repositories, and issue-tracking tools.
This allows teams to work on decisions within their existing workflows without switching contexts.
By using Straion, teams can ensure that technical decisions are made transparently, efficiently, and with full visibility into the approval process.
ADRs bring clarity and accountability to your engineering decisions. Whether you're a startup or an enterprise, documenting your technical choices is essential for long-term success.
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