alternative

One of the mutually exclusive courses of action attaining the objectives. alternatives differ in their nature or character, not only in quantitative details. By mutually exclusive we mean that the alternatives are competitive in the sense that if A is selected, B cannot be chosen. A course of action that combines features selected from both A and B would be a new alternative. (The synonym "option" is often used in association with the decision maker, "the decision maker's options were..."). (IIASA)