

This column should first identify whether a gap actually exists between a company's current and future state. Or it may be worded in general terms, such as working toward a more inclusive office culture. Like the current state, this section can be drafted in concrete, quantifiable terms, such as aiming to increase the number of fielded customer calls by a certain percentage within a specific time period. The gap analysis report should also include a column labeled "Future State," which outlines the target condition the company wants to achieve. The analysis of these focus areas can be either quantitative, such as looking at the number of customer calls answered within a certain time period or qualitative, such as examining the state of diversity in the workplace. The choice depends on the company's target objectives. The current stateĪ gap analysis template starts off with a column that might be labeled "Current State." It lists the processes, workflows and characteristics an organization seeks to improve, using factual and specific terms.Īreas of focus can be broad, targeting the entire business or the focus may be narrow, concentrating on a specific business process. While gap analysis methodologies can be either concrete or conceptual, gap analysis templates often have the following fundamental components in common. This is often referred to as strategic planning.

Such a plan outlines a step-by-step process to fill the gap between its current and future states, and to reach its target objectives. For example, it may involve looking at documentation, measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) or other success metrics, conducting stakeholder interviews, brainstorming and observing project activities.Īfter a company compares its target goals against its current state, it can then draw up a comprehensive plan. This data can be collected from a variety of sources depending on what is being analyzed. The next step is to analyze current processes by collecting relevant data on performance levels and how resources are presently allocated to these processes. The first step in conducting a gap analysis is to establish specific target objectives by looking at the company's mission statement, strategic business goals and improvement objectives. In human resources (HR), a gap analysis can be done to examine which skills are present in the workforce and what additional skills are needed to improve the organization's competitiveness or efficiency. In compliance initiatives, a gap analysis can compare what is required by certain regulations with what currently is being done to abide by them.
#The space in between we used to dream software#
In software development, gap analysis tools can document which services or functions have been accidentally left out which have been deliberately eliminated and which still need to be developed.
#The space in between we used to dream how to#
Small businesses, in particular, can benefit from performing gap analyses when they're in the process of figuring out how to allocate resources.

Performance gaps can be measured across multiple areas of the business, including customer satisfaction, revenue generation, productivity and supply chain cost. The gap analysis also helps in benchmarking actual business performance so it can be measured against optimal performance levels. In information technology, gap analysis reports often are used by project managers and process improvement teams as the starting point for an action plan to produce operational improvement. The "gap" in the gap analysis process refers to the space between "where we are" as a part of the business (the present state) and "where we want to be" (the target state or desired state). A gap analysis is a method of assessing the performance of a business unit to determine whether business requirements or objectives are being met and, if not, what steps should be taken to meet them.Ī gap analysis may also be referred to as a needs analysis, needs assessment or need-gap analysis.
