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| Criterion |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-2 h | 2-6 h | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisPlanning | StrategyAnalysisOptions | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions |