Gap analysis is a method of assessing the differences in performance between a company’s systems to determine whether business requirements are being met. If the analysis discovers that they aren’t, then the next step is to identify what measures need to be taken to ensure that they are met successfully. Industry professionals call this “gap analysis” because the gap refers to the space between the present state of affairs and the target. A gap analysis can also be referred to as a needs analysis, need-gap analysis, or a needs assessment.
In quality systems, much of the work done on gap analysis attempts to discover what functions are missing from a process. In some cases, the missing pieces have been deliberately eliminated, but frequently these pieces have been accidentally left out or haven’t been developed yet.
A gap analysis is key for comparing what is required by ISO and FDA regulations and what is currently being done to stay in compliance.
Quality System Consultants has over 30 years’ experience working with companies large and small on performing effective gap analyses. Call us for a free consultation on how we can help you get where you need to be.