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| Criterion |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Business Strategy McKinsey 7S |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | 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. | McKinsey 7S checks whether Strategy, Structure, Systems, Shared Values, Skills, Style, and Staff fit together. Organizational misalignments become visible across multiple levers as a result. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 1-2 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-12 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | 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 | 7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisOptions | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange |