The example value stream shown, labeled "Acquire Retail Product," represents a decomposition into a sequence of stages that collectively create value. Each stage, such as "Advertise Channels," "Display Products," "Enable Selection," "Process Payment," and "Deliver Product(s)," is a step in the overall process that contributes to the final outcome, which in this case is the acquisition of a retail product by the customer.
Value streams are utilized in business architecture to model the flow of value through an organization from the initial customer demand to the final delivery of the product or service.

A key principle of value streams is that value is always defined from the perspective of the stakeholder2. A stakeholder is any person or group who has an interest in or influence on an enterprise or its activities5. A stakeholder can be internal or external to the enterprise. A stakeholder can also be a customer, end user, partner, supplier, regulator, employee, or any other role that interacts with or benefits from the enterprise's products or services5. Value streams should reflect how stakeholders perceive and measure value in terms of outcomes, benefits, costs, risks, and satisfaction2.

In the TOGAF ADM cycle, Phase A, the Architecture Vision phase, is where the architect would locate existing architecture descriptions to create an information map. This phase involves understanding the strategic context for the architecture work, defining the scope, identifying stakeholders, creating the Architecture Vision, and obtaining approvals to proceed with the work. Part of this involves reviewing existing documentation to understand the current state of the architecture and the information that is already available, which would be useful for creating an information map.