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| Criterion |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) |  Business Strategy GAP 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. | 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. | LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail. | 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 | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 20–45 min | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | Small cross-functional group | 1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Lean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checks | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisOptions | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean | StrategyAnalysisPlanning |