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| Criterion |  Architecture C4 Model |  Business Strategy SWOT Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Business Strategy PESTLE Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | SWOT Analysis arranges strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats into a compact picture of the situation. It keeps internal capabilities and external influences separate before strategic options emerge from them. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | PESTLE Analysis makes political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental influences visible. The environment of an initiative is thereby read systematically instead of through isolated trends. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 30-60 min | 15-45 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | 3-12 | 1-3 | 2-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | SWOT matrix, Strategic options, Action list | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | PESTLE Map, External Risks, Strategic Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | StrategyAnalysisMarketPositioning | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | StrategyMarketAnalysis |