decision-log

To document architecture decisions, record the context, options considered, criteria, final choice, rationale, and consequences in a standard decision log format to preserve history and support future audits.

An ADR is an Architecture Decision Record used to capture context, options, and rationale for a choice. You need to log a decision when making architecture, product, process, or project-level choices that require future auditability.

The best way to preserve decision history for onboarding is maintaining a decision log with fields for date, status, deciders, context, options, criteria, decision, rationale, and consequences to answer why past choices were made.

Yes, you can use a decision log for product and process choices. It applies to architecture, product, process, and project-level decisions, recording the context, triggers, and rationale for any governance review or knowledge transfer.

To record decision consequences and criteria, use a standard decision record format with dedicated fields for criteria, the final decision, rationale, and consequences, ensuring the triggers and options considered are fully documented.

Your team needs a decision log to review past choices because it captures the context, options, and rationale behind decisions, facilitating governance audits and answering why a specific option was chosen during knowledge transfer.