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| Criterion |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |  Systems Thinking Wardley Mapping |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | Wardley Mapping makes visible where an offering stands today and where it can evolve. The method connects user need, value chain, and evolution stages into a strategic basis for platform, build, or buy decisions. | 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 | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes | Wardley Map, Strategic Options, Evolution Notes | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisOptions | StrategyAnalysisPlanning | StrategySystems thinkingDynamics | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions |