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| Criterion |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Operations Bottleneck Analysis |  Architecture C4 Model |  Engineering Kanban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For a flow that backs up at one point, the method looks for the capacity limit with the greatest leverage. It explains why extra effort elsewhere barely improves throughput. | 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. | When work sits in too many parallel streams, throughput suffers and no one sees the bottlenecks. Kanban makes the flow of work visible and limits overload so a system becomes calmer and more predictable. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 1-4 h | Ongoing |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 3-8 | 1-5 | 2-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics |
Tagsno overlap | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | FlowMeasurementConstraints | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | FlowVisual managementDelivery |