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| Criterion |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Business Strategy SWOT Analysis |  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. | SWOT Analysis arranges strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats into a compact picture of the situation. It keeps internal capabilities and external influences separate before strategic options emerge from them. | 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 |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 30-60 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-12 | 4-12 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | SWOT matrix, Strategic options, Action list | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tags1 shared | StrategyAnalysisOptions | StrategyAnalysisMarketPositioning | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |
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