ADKT: una herramienta para la reducción de la evaporación del conocimiento arquitectónico en proyectos software

Defining software architecture is a complex task that demands technical expertise and business knowledge. Design decisions drive architectural structures throughout development and maintenance. However, this knowledge often dissipates over time, a phenomenon known as architectural knowledge evaporation, leading to increased costs and maintenance difficulties. This paper presents ADKT, a support tool designed to mitigate architectural knowledge evaporation by enabling the documentation and traceability of design decisions. ADKT was evaluated through a case study involving software engineers of different expertise levels. The evaluation assessed the tool’s ease of use, perceived usefulness, and effectiveness in reducing knowledge evaporation. Results indicate that participants found ADKT easy to use and valuable for preserving architectural knowledge. Nonetheless, challenges remain regarding engineers’ commitment to consistently documenting decisions and the need for a designated person to oversee this process. These findings highlight the importance of developing advanced tools and fostering a culture of documentation within development teams.