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| Criterion |  Product Strategy Impact Mapping |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Business Strategy VRIO Framework |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a goal needs to be connected to several possible paths, it shows chains of impact instead of feature lists. It connects business goal, behavior change, and measures. | 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. | The VRIO Framework rates resources and capabilities on whether they are Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, and Organized. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a VRIO table and strategic actions. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 90-180 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Impact Map, Outcome Hypotheses, Delivery Options | 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 | VRIO Table, Strategic Actions | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | OutcomesStrategyBehaviorPlanning | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | StrategyDiagnosisBusiness modelCapability | StrategyAnalysisPlanning |