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Selected:TOWS MatrixSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Decision Framing WorkshopMcKinsey 7S
| Criterion |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Decision Framing Workshop |  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. | 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. | When a decision is poorly framed, even good answers deliver little value. A Decision Framing Workshop sharpens the problem, goal, and boundaries before the actual weighing begins. | 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 | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 60-120 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-10 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | 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 | Decision Frame, Decision Question, Criteria List, Evidence Plan | 7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisOptions | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Decision framingAlignmentCriteriaOptions | OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange |