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| Criterion |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 1-2 Tage | 1-3 Tage | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisOptions | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |