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| Criterion |  Delivery Value Stream Mapping |  Delivery Communication Plan |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 15-45 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 2-6 | 1-3 | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Current-state map, Future-state map, Bottleneck list | Communication Plan, Channel Matrix, Message Cadence | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | LeanFlowWasteDelivery | CommunicationStakeholdersDeliveryPlanning | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |