What the hell is "gap analysis"

[bigred]

English please. Thx

[T'ai Chi]

English please. Thx

From what I read, I gather that it is extensive mapping: vegatation, distribution of specices, land ownership data, and other things, to help determine if species numbers are lacking on certain geographical areas (this is the "gap").

[bigred]

And this relates to computers because..........

Unlike many, I try to post in the relevant forum. ;) (I meant from an IT perspective)

[T'ai Chi]

Oh!

Then I really have no clue. :)

[Jyera]

I think "gap analysis" as a generic terms.
Literally it means a form of analysis done on the gap.
A gap would be possible only if there is a point of reference or a yardstick for comparison. The first would be to identfy if there is indeed a gap between what is happening and what is expected.

It is possible to use "gap anaylsis" for computer.

Let say, all computer of a typical config might be tested to expect a performance benchmark figure of 8 out of a max of 10. But computer B is running at a benchmark figure of 5 out of a max of 10. There is obviously a gap of 3 (8-5). But the gap of 3 may never be known if no one initiated a gap analysis.

Apart from identifying that there is indeed a gap. We may go further to analyse what is the cause of the gap. Knowing the cause of the gap will allow necessary action to be taken to remove the gap, if it is so desired.

Another typical gap would be the promised theoretical performance vs the real performance. Such as netwrok bandwidth.

And yet another is the gap between two devices which are supposed to work together. Eg. you have a computer with a very very fast CPU. But you installed a harddisk that is very very slow. So while your computer may work very very quickly to process the data retrieved from the harddisk, you are actually slowed down by the slow harddisk. To decrease the gap, you might decide to replace the harddisk with a better ones.

In short "gap anaylsis" allows you to identify gap and analyse ways to systematically overcome any shortcoming due to the gap.

[bigred]

Sorry I'm not explaining myself well.

This is more in terms of a business analysis/processes function.

[arthwollipot]

I understand "gap analysis" by its use in knowledge management. If you have a knowledge base, then you perform a gap analysis to work out what you haven't included, but should.

[bigred]

I understand "gap analysis" by its use in knowledge management. If you have a knowledge base, then you perform a gap analysis to work out what you haven't included, but should.
OK I think we're getting somewhere....

Can you give me something a little more concrete/specific? An example maybe?

[Here_to_learn]

This is more in terms of a business analysis/processes function.

So, the IT dept has decided that there are a lot of failures and system outages caused by changes not being implemented in the best possible way (you know, like "I'm sure this component cannot affect that service...") and it's time to do something about it.

First, we define where we want to go; set targets, define what type of process we would like everybody to follow, what tool we should use.

The next step is to analyse the current state, how do we do it today.

After that, we can do a Gap Analysis, basically comparing the current state with the desired state, and identifying what we need to fix, in this example it could be:

Make sure everybody plans changes the same way
Train the xyz dept to use the change tool
Invest in a new tool to distribute sw changes to the PC environmentAnd so on...

So the key concept about gap analysis is to compare the current and desired states, and identifying what is lacking (the gaps), as a step in planning how to make things better.

[rustypouch]

Here I thought it was something to do with the London Underground...

[arthwollipot]

OK I think we're getting somewhere....

Can you give me something a little more concrete/specific? An example maybe?

Um, I'd love to, but the basis behind gap analysis is that you don't actually know what you don't know. It's the process of finding out what you don't know, so that you can include it in what you do know.

[Kopji]

A gap analysis is one of those stupid business phrases that means a study about the difference between where you are now and where you want to be later.

A good example might be an evaluation of your company's disaster recovery plan.

I don't know if 'always', but a gap analysis is often done by a consultant instead of internally.

[bigred]

A gap analysis is one of those stupid business phrases Bingo, that's what I suspected all along - ie trying to make something sound more cosmic than it really is, like "TQM," "CMM," and similar gibberish.

Aren't corp. games wonderful :hurl: Curse the Dilbertization of the world.

[Wudang]

A gap analysis is about what's missing rather than what's there. When Ripoff Enterprises want to sell me Pointless Crap v2.1 they point out all the things it can do that we're interested in. The gap analysis is pointing out all the bits where it fails to meet our needs.

[T'ai Chi]

Interesting.

I didn't know there were multiple gap analyses.

[jgravelle]

"In information technology, gap analysis is the study of the differences between two different information systems or applications..."

You can access this definition in its entirety via "WhatIs.com".

That's my favorite bookmark for keeping current in the language of Geekery...


-jjg

[hodgy]

Bigred,

I think that in your context what it really means is:

- You have software system or application that you know can provide certain high level capabilities that your business needs.

- However, of course you realise that this system / application does not currently do everything today that you want it to do tomorrow.

- You want to know how much effort or expense will be necessary to make your application or system meet 100% (or as practically close as possible) of your requirements.

- Therefore you conduct a Gap Analysis to establish the gap between the current capability and your requirements.

Typically the gap analysis will be used to estimate project effort (therefore cost) or the suitability of an application for a particular role (therefore whether to buy it or not).

'Gap analysis' is not a fashionable buzzword that has no real substance (as one might be persuaded to think from this forum). It is a well understood, frequently used and necessary tool of business IT.

Cheers,

- Hodgy

[bigred]

Thx very much for the replies all. Frankly I've already gotten more than I expected.

hodgy, sounds like you have experience in this area. Don't expect you to get into great detail, but generally how are such analyses accomplished? (eg process modelling, etc)

[hodgy]

Thx very much for the replies all. Frankly I've already gotten more than I expected.

hodgy, sounds like you have experience in this area. Don't expect you to get into great detail, but generally how are such analyses accomplished? (eg process modelling, etc)

Well - if you were talking to the big 5 (Systems Integrators) they would no doubt ply you with bulls**t and charge their consultants out at a couple of thousand+ a day for the privilege.

My approach is good old common-sense, it goes something like this:

- Figure out what the requirements are (which could be anything from a screen layout right up to an e2e business process).

- Find out what the software can do out of the box (OOB).

- Document the differences between requirements and OOB capabilities.

- Optionally: estimate the effort / cost of closing that gap.

Usually, the hard bit is getting a good appreciation of the requirements - who owns them, who is responsible for the future vision, who makes the decisions, who pays for it, etc....