I have attended a few gap analysis sessions, mainly with government agencies discussing systems tailored for the federal government. You usually sit in a room for days, weeks, even months (yes, one took three months) and hash out the differences between two or more systems/processes. This aids you in creating one improved system that will give stakeholders more than they need or want. Here are some tips on how to conduct gap analysis sessions that will be of some value:

Select Subject-Matter Experts (SMEs) Who Are Not Egomaniacs

I partook in a three-month long gap analysis that was to compare and analyze four existing financial management systems to take the best parts of all of them, and combine them into one sound system. Those were the longest three months of my entire life.  The reason? The six egos that were overcrowding the huge conference room. Don’t get me wrong, these SMEs knew what they were talking about.  Four out of the six SMEs were the brains behind the development of these existing systems, so I understand that they were emotionally connected to their systems. Therefore, they were unable to admit the flaws of the systems, and were actually playing “salespersons” and trying to sell their systems.  You want to find SMEs who are invested in the project, but are objective enough that they can look at the pros and cons of their systems.  They are able to listen to one another without getting into heated arguments (and they got HEATED) about why their system was the best.  If you are unable to find SMEs who do not have massive egos, then you definitely need a moderator.

Have a Moderator To Keep Gap Analysis On Schedule

A moderator is always a good resource when conducting a gap analysis session. He/she is able to keep the discussion moving and break up time-wasting arguments that usually erupt during a gap analysis. The best kind is a stakeholder who is not really sold on any one system.  This ensures that there isn’t any favoritism with one SME, and that one system doesn’t overpower the others. There was a week-long gap analysis that I attended that had a moderator who knew how to get the job done. If someone deviated from the discussion, she quickly brought that person right back around.

Create a Schedule Ahead of Time and Pass It to Attendees

Having a schedule that people can follow is a great way to keep everyone heading in the right direction. You should add how much time you want to spend on each area, which already instills in people who there is no time to waste. Yes, you will not follow the schedule exactly. However, you will not have to deal with side conversations and other distractions as much with one.  I also think that having it on the screen, and taking the time to go over it the first five minutes of each day, helps refresh everyone’s memories. I think that companies waste way too much paper on handing out things like schedules (they usually end up in the trash anyway), so this is why I do not recommend this. Put it up on the screen and help the environment at the same time.

Offer Some Incentive For Having People Confined in a Room

If you are going to have people spend more than three hours in a room for days on end, then offer to buy breakfast or lunch (depending on the time of day) and/or snacks. There was one company who didn’t even want to let us take breaks or have even 30-minute lunches. By the third day of this, people were so irritable that they probably didn’t work to the best of their ability. The attendees are brainstorming to create a system that will improve processes and communication.  If you are doing this for another company or government agency, then you want to make sure that they are working at the best of their abilities. Even if it is just offering breakfast or lunch for one day, do it. People always love free stuff. In the end, you win out.

Have Someone Who Will Write a Final Gap Analysis Report

If you don’t document what is being discussed during the gap analysis session, then what is the point of having it? You should always have someone (preferably a Technical Writer) who is there to listen to what is being said, and create a final Gap Analysis report that will be passed on to all participants and stakeholders who were not there.  This report is also a great way to begin the project’s lifecycle because you can think of it as pre-planning for requirements, design, and development.

Gap analysis are tedious but helpful. If you conduct the gap analysis session properly, then you will definitely be on your way to creating a better system.

Written by: Shevonne on September 16, 2010.
Last revised by: Shevonne on September 27, 2010.

Tags: gap analysis, gap analysis report, gap analysis session