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| Criterion |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |  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. | 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. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. | 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 | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-4 h | 60-120 min | Ongoing |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 1-5 | 2-8 | 2-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Kanban board, WIP policies, Flow metrics |
Tagsno overlap | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | FlowVisual managementDelivery |