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| Criterion |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Business Strategy Value Chain Analysis |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures. | Value Chain Analysis shows where value is created, costs accrue, and differentiation becomes possible along the process. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a value-chain map and lever list. | 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. | 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 | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20–45 min | Half day | 1-2 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | Small cross-functional group | 3-8 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Value Chain Map, Lever List | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | StrategyBusiness modelDiagnosisAnalysis | StrategyAnalysisOptions | StrategyAnalysisPlanning |