Decision System That Ends Project Chaos: Architecture Decision Record (ADR)

The biggest problem in modern software projects is often not the quality of the code. The real danger comes from a much more insidious place: Forgotten decisions.

The vast majority of corporate teams still manage the architectural decisions that determine the fate of the project at the "We talked about it at the last meeting" level. However, as the project grows, the team changes and time passes, those meetings fade away.

These annoying questions remain:

• "Why did we make this system a microservice, who decided?"
• "Why did we choose this database, did we look at alternatives?"
• "Did we foresee this problem we are experiencing now?"

If you do not have a clear answer to these questions or a document to show; It means your project is drifting into technical chaos.

At this point, the ADR (Architecture Decision Record) system comes into play, which saves the project from being dependent on people.

What is ADR? (Not a Document, Architectural Memory)

ADR is a system where critical decisions taken in software projects are recorded in a short, clear and permanent manner. But don't confuse this with boring technical documentation.

Every ADR is a live record that answers 4 basic questions:

1. What decision did we make?
2. Why did we buy it? (What was the context?)
3. What were the alternatives? (What did we eliminate?)
4. What are the trade-offs? (What does this decision cost or risk us?)

ADR is the "memory" of your project. Code may change, technology may change, even the CTO may change; but the logic of the decisions remains in the project thanks to ADR.

Critical Difference Between Task and ADR

Many teams make the mistake of thinking that Jira tickets or tasks are “decisions”. However, there is a huge difference between them.* Task: "Do this" he says. It is action oriented.

• ADR (Decision): "Why are we doing this?" says. It is strategy oriented.

Let's explain with a simple example:

• Task: "Improve Basket endpoints." (This task ends and is archived.)
• ADR: "Should the cart structure be a separate service or should it remain within the main application?" (This decision affects the architecture of the project for years.)

Task ends, ADR lives.

What Does an ADR Look Like?

Writing ADR is not a job that takes days. Rather, it requires clarity. Here is a simple and effective ADR template:

ADR-007: Using Redis Cache

Status: Accepted

Context: API response times increased and the load on the database began to increase. Read operations far outnumber write operations.

Decision: Redis cache will be used on frequently read endpoints.

Alternatives: Database index optimization or CDN use was considered but eliminated due to the need for instant data.

Consequences:

• (+) Response time (Latency) will decrease.
• (+) Database load will decrease.
• (-) Cache clearing (invalidation) complexity will be added.

As you can see; It clearly reveals not only the decision, but also its reasons and consequences.

Why ADR Isn't Just a "Technical" Subject?

As a manager or project owner, requesting ADR is protecting your project. The ADR system provides:

• Speed: The same architectural discussions are not repeated every sprint. The decision has been made, the journey continues.
• Ease of Onboarding: A new incoming developer might ask, “Why?” Instead of asking "", he/she understands the entire history of the project by reading the ADR logs.* Technical Debt Management: You move forward by accepting risks (trade-off), not unconsciously.

How Do I Apply ADR in My Services?

In my project management and technical consultancy work, ADR writing is not a "chore" but a delivery discipline.

When I get involved in a project, I usually implement the following in the first 7 days:

1. Establishing the ADR Log Structure: We determine where the decisions will be kept (Jira, Git, Notion, etc.).
2. Recording Critical Decisions: We take an x-ray of the current architecture and clarify the critical decisions taken retrospectively.
3. Shaping the Roadmap: We prioritize the delivery roadmap based on these architectural decisions, not just features.

This ensures full transparency between the management and technical team. "Scope drift" (scope expansion) is prevented and the project is entrusted to the system itself, not to the memory of individuals.

Result

The code changes. Meetings fly by. But decisions form the foundation of your project.

If you feel that decisions are floating in the air in your project and the same issues are being discussed over and over again, you need a "decision memory".

The "Technology Stack and Architecture" folder is the most natural place for these decisions to live.

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Let's set up this system in 5 steps using the Confluence structure:

Step 1: Create the "Decision Library"

Let's open a new home page under the "Technology Stack and Architecture" folder in the screenshot.

• Page Name: Architecture Decision Log (ADR)
• Purpose: This page is not a stand-alone decision; This is the main table where all decisions are listed (Index). Thus, when a new member of the team clicks here, they see the entire history of the project in a list.#### Step 2: Prepare a Global Template Nobody likes creating a page from scratch every time. In Confluence, you should create a "Global Template" or a template just for this Space. The content of the template should be as we talked about before:
• Title: ADR-XXX: [Short Title]
• Status: (We will detail this in Step 3)
• Context: What's the matter?
• Decision: What are we doing?
• Consequences: Costs and gains.

Step 3: Use Visual "Status" Macro

One of Confluence's greatest strengths is the Status Macro feature. Add this macro to the top of your template. Colors allow the brain to perceive the situation within seconds. Standard color codes can be:

• 🟢 ACCEPTED (Green): The decision has been made and is being implemented.
• 🟡 PROPOSED (Yellow): Open to discussion, not approved yet.
• 🔴 REJECTED (Red): It was suggested but not accepted (hiding it is also a lesson).
• ⚪ DEPRECATED (Grey): Used to be valid but has now been replaced by a new decision (e.g. ADR-009).

Step 4: Edit Page Tree (Hierarchy)

Position each new ADR page you create (e.g. ADR-001: Redis Cache) as a child page of the Architecture Decision Log page we opened in the first step. The view will be like this:``` 📂 Teknoloji Yığını ve Mimarisi └── 📂 Architecture Decision Log (ADR) ├── 📄 ADR-001: Redis Cache Kullanımı ├── 📄 ADR-002: Auth Provider Seçimi └── 📄 ADR-003: ...

This is the "magic" part. 🪄 Instead of making lists manually one by one, let's use Confluence's automation.
Add "Page Properties" macro to each ADR page (template) and put summary information such as Status, Decision Date, Decision Makers.
Go to the main page (Architecture Decision Log) and add the "Page Properties Report" macro.
This macro pulls that summary information from the subpages and creates an automatic, always up-to-date table on the main page.