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| Criterion |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Business Strategy Three Horizons |  Innovation Design Sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | Three Horizons helps clarify strategic options across different timeframes. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and investment choices, and captures the result as a horizon map, portfolio view, and initiatives per horizon. | When the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | Halbtags-Workshop, dann iterativ | 4-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 4-10 | 3-12 | 5-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Horizon map, Portfolio view, Initiatives per horizon, Resource plan | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisPlanning | InnovationPrototypeResearch | StrategyInnovationPortfolioForesight | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation |