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| Criterion |  Engineering Fault Isolation |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In technical failures, the visible symptom often gets mixed up with the actual cause. Fault Isolation narrows the fault space and progressively reduces which part of the system is truly affected. | GAP Analysis compares the current state with a target picture and makes the distance manageable. It becomes useful when, ahead of new initiatives, it must become clear which capabilities, processes, or resources are missing. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | The TOWS Matrix connects internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats into action-oriented strategies. It goes a step further than a pure stocktaking. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-180 min | 1-3 h | 30-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Fault Isolation Map, Test Log, Excluded Hypotheses, Narrowed Fault Area | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions |
Tagsno overlap | TroubleshootingDiagnosisEngineering | StrategyAnalysisPlanning | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | StrategyAnalysisOptions |