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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Delivery Communication Plan |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | When delivery work dissolves into wait times, handoffs, and hidden effort, Value Stream Mapping makes the actual flow visible. The method exposes bottlenecks, idle time, and feedback loops so lead time and improvement levers become tangible. | When many people need to be informed in parallel and messages would otherwise arrive unevenly or too late, a Communication Plan orders communication reliably. Channels, audiences, and cadences interlock so important information doesn't get lost. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 4-10 | 2-6 | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Communication Plan, Channel Matrix, Message Cadence | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | CommunicationStakeholdersDeliveryPlanning | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |