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| Criterion | ![]() Business Strategy GAP Analysis | ![]() Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) | ![]() Business Strategy PESTLE Analysis | ![]() Business Strategy Ansoff Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | PESTLE Analysis makes political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental influences visible. The environment of an initiative is thereby read systematically instead of through isolated trends. | The Ansoff Matrix organizes growth options by market and product relation. It helps weigh expansion, diversification, and adaptation cleanly against each other. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-3 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-10 | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | PESTLE Map, External Risks, Strategic Questions | Ansoff Matrix, Growth Options, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisPlanning | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | StrategyMarketAnalysis | GrowthStrategyMarketPortfolio |



