The TOWS Matrix Developing Strategic Options From an External-Internal Analysis
TOWS Analysis is a variant of the classic business tool, SWOT Analysis. TOWS and SWOT are acronyms for different arrangements of the words Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
By analyzing the external environment (threats and opportunities), and your internal environment (weaknesses and strengths), you can use these techniques to think about the strategy of your whole organization, a department or a team. You can also use them to think about a process, a marketing campaign, or even your own skills and experience.
Our article on SWOT Analysis helps you perform a thorough SWOT/TOWS Analysis. At a practical level, the only difference between TOWS and SWOT is that TOWS emphasizes the external environment whilst SWOT emphasizes the internal environment. In both cases, this analysis results in a SWOT (or TOWS) Matrix like the one shown below: Strengths |
Weaknesses | Opportunities |
Threats |

In this article, we look at how you can extend your use of SWOT and TOWS to think in detail about the strategic options open to you. While this approach can be used just as well with SWOT as TOWS, it's most often associated with TOWS.
Identifying Strategic Options
Mind Tools on Strategy:
SWOT Analysis
TOWS Analysis
PEST Analysis
Core Competence Analysis
Value Chain Analysis
Porter's Five Forces
Porter's Generic Strategies
Bowman's Strategy Clock
Scenario Analysis
SWOT or TOWS analysis helps you get a better understanding of the strategic choices that you face. (Remember that "strategy" is the art of determining how you'll "win" in business and life.) It helps you ask, and answer, the following questions: How do you:
Make the most of your strengths?
Circumvent your weaknesses?
Capitalize on your opportunities?
Manage your threats?
A next step of analysis,