The 22-Gate Framework: A Structured Pre-SWOT Diagnostic for Company Analysis

SWOT analysis is widely used in strategic planning, yet in practice it often becomes an open brainstorming session that yields long lists of generic, unverified statements. This paper proposes the 22-Gate Framework as a diagnostic stage that precedes the matrix. The analyst examines 22 gates across four layers: internal capability (6M), the marketing mix (4P), the near environment (six actors) and the macro environment (PESTEL). Each finding then passes six filtering gates (evidence, materiality, comparison, control, trend and decision relevance) before it is classified into SWOT. The paper sets out the structure of the framework, a six-step application protocol and an illustrative example, and explicitly separates the established components drawn from the literature from the framework's integrative contribution. The framework is presented as an applied diagnostic tool that has not yet been independently tested; directions for empirical validation are proposed.