ALIGN Approach

ALIGN is a distinct approach for strategic analysis with justified recommendations. Its aim is decision support in practice: a systematic path to a strategic direction in place of ungrounded conclusions.

The ALIGN Approach applies the Connected Toolbox through a human-guided AI process. It is a repeatable five-step procedure that converts source data into strategic recommendations. The ALIGN Approach combines human and AI processing and provides full traceability.

• Assess the evidence base: gather and appraise the data sources for analysis.
• Link internal and external analysis: apply strategic investigation across both views.
• Integrate human and artificial intelligence: combine practitioner expertise and AI.
• Generate strategic insights: derive findings from the analysis.
• Narrow to recommendations: condense findings into recommendations that trace back.

The figure below outlines this sequence: from the original data sources, through the LLM-supported analysis with the Connected Toolbox, to the effort-impact matrix.

The Connected Toolbox is a set of widely recognized strategic frameworks applied as one integrated system. It links interdependent perspectives for coherent strategic analysis.

Five complementary frameworks form the toolbox: PESTEL (macro-environment), Porter's five forces (industry view), Treacy and Wiersema's customer value disciplines (customer view), the resource-based view (internal resources and capabilities), and SWOT, which consolidates internal and external views into a single picture.

Together the five frameworks provide broad coverage of the strategic field, interlinked into one analysis. The result is a coherent line of reasoning across all five. 

The document Strategic Analysis in Practice shows how the frameworks connect on a worked case.