Gap Analysis

Gap Analysis Guide: Understanding the Concept and Exam Preparation

Introduction to Gap Analysis

Gap analysis is a technique used to identify the differences between the current state of a business process, system, or organization and its desired future state. It's a critical component in needs assessment and business problem identification.

Why Gap Analysis is Important

Gap analysis serves as a foundation for strategic planning and improvement initiatives by:

1. Identifying where performance falls short of expectations
2. Highlighting areas for improvement or investment
3. Providing a basis for prioritizing business requirements
4. Creating a roadmap for transitioning from the current to the desired state
5. Justifying resource allocation to stakeholders

Core Components of Gap Analysis

A complete gap analysis typically involves:

1. Current State Assessment: Analyzing existing processes, systems, skills, and performance metrics
2. Future State Definition: Clearly articulating the target objectives, processes, and performance levels
3. Gap Identification: Determining the specific differences between current and future states
4. Action Planning: Developing strategies to bridge the identified gaps

Gap Analysis Techniques

Several methods can be employed for conducting gap analysis:

• SWOT Analysis: Evaluating Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
• Performance Metrics Comparison: Comparing actual versus target KPIs
• Process Mapping: Documenting current processes and comparing with ideal workflows
• Skills Assessment: Comparing current skill sets with required capabilities
• Benchmarking: Comparing organizational performance against industry standards

The Gap Analysis Process

1. Define Objectives: Clarify what you aim to achieve with the gap analysis
2. Gather Data: Collect information about the current state through interviews, surveys, document reviews, and observation
3. Document Current State: Create a comprehensive picture of existing processes, systems, or capabilities
4. Define Future State: Articulate the desired target state with specific metrics and characteristics
5. Analyze Gaps: Identify and categorize the differences between current and future states
6. Develop Action Plan: Create strategies to close the identified gaps
7. Implement Changes: Execute the action plan
8. Monitor Progress: Track implementation and assess effectiveness

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Gap Analysis

1. Understand the Terminology:
• Know the difference between current state ("as-is") and future state ("to-be")
• Be familiar with terms like "variance analysis" and "performance gaps"
2. Recognize Practical Applications:
• Be ready to identify scenarios where gap analysis is appropriate
• Understand when gap analysis should be part of a larger assessment strategy

3. Remember the Sequence:
• Questions often test your knowledge of the correct order of gap analysis steps
• Current state assessment comes before future state definition

4. Focus on Measurability:
• Emphasize quantifiable measures when describing gaps
• Understand how to express gaps in terms of metrics and KPIs

5. Connect to Business Analysis Concepts:
• Relate gap analysis to requirements elicitation and management
• Link gap identification to solution assessment and validation

6. Common Question Formats:
• Scenario-based questions asking you to identify gaps in a given situation
• Questions asking about appropriate techniques for specific types of gap analysis
• Questions about translating gap findings into requirements

7. Watch for Tricky Options:
• Some answer choices may describe premature solutions before proper gap analysis
• Other options might confuse current state documentation with future state planning

8. Gap Analysis Deliverables:
• Know common outputs such as gap reports, heat maps, and prioritized recommendation lists
• Understand how these deliverables feed into requirements documentation

Remember that gap analysis questions often test your ability to think systematically and distinguish between assessment, analysis, and solution development phases.