A Gap Analysis is a strategic planning tool to help the organization to understand the difference between the levels to be achieved and has achieved, it makes to understand where you are, where you want to be and how you’re going to reach there.
One of the first steps in the Management System transition or implementation project is to compare the current Management System to the requirements of the standard. This is most commonly called as Gap Analysis; it is sometimes referred to as a Pre-Audit/ pre assessment or even internal audit or self-audit.
A gap analysis is mainly done at the beginning of the journey for the standardization to assess what is currently in place against the set of requirements for which every standard is to be implemented. The standard has specific requirements that have to be met; these are detailed in various clauses of the relevant standard. If the current system does not meet the requirements, then there is a gap that must be addressed before one can achieve successful level of certification or accreditation or inspection.
This process can also be used when an organization has to go through the transition to a new version of a standard. It will provide an indication of where you are now and where you need to be to have a successful migration of the new version.
The Most Common Questions Are:
Sometimes, the difficulty is that every business or organization is different; different sectors, different sizes, different complexities, different risks – so there is no standard answer to these questions.
An organization will also want to know where they are on their journey. Although they have an understanding of their current position and know what they want to achieve; they need to implement a plan of action to get where they need to be. The Gap Analysis is a tool that identifies the gaps and therefore enables you to put together an action plan to gain successful achievement of required goal. It can also provide a reality check as to where you are in the process – helping with planning resources and timeframes.
7th Dimension can conduct a Gap Analysis to identify areas of weakness prior to formal assessment. 7th Dimension auditors will carry out a Gap Analysis audit to compare the Management System that is in place with the standard requirements.
The Assessor/auditor will:
A report will be raised:
This report will enable the business or organization to implement a plan to remedy these gaps in readiness for the mandatory initial audits for achievement of goals.
