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| Criterion |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  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. | 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. | 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 | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 20–45 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | Small cross-functional group | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | 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 | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisOptions | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | StrategyAnalysisPlanning |