Gap analysis is a pretty simple exercise and in many cases it can be described as comparing a real apple to an ideal apple.
It is worth mentioning that this must always be “apple-to-apple” comparison.
In technical terms gap analysis is the process of comparing a real state of equipment/facility/process/product to the commonly accepted Standard.
That’s where the problem starts. Ask 100 engineers about gap analysis and you will get 100 different (yet sense-making) answers about the procedures they follow in order to complete it. There are hundreds articles, descriptions and best practices, procedures and formats for this process so it becomes confusing for those who are new to this process and they are struggling to find one that suits their business. It becomes even more complicated when it comes to a pile of standards that your things have to comply with, so a robust work management mechanism should be set to ensure that all the requirements are analysed, actioned and documented.
Here’s how gap analysis process usually appears for a technical person
In this post we would like to explain the application of GA Lab for engineering and design assurance processes and the key benefits.
In the core of the methodology lies implementation of hierarchical approach to every single requirement of any given normative document – [standard] which is firmly assigned to a [location]. This method helps to build a strong framework of requirements and their applications to each individual area and is a solid base for successful design or quality assurance agenda. The picture below shows a representative example of compliance hierarchy for a random organisation.
GA Lab system allows building hierarchies of any shape and size, so you can use it for any ad-hoc gap analysis work for a random location or build a comprehensive structure to accommodate any global industrial giant and all applicable [standards].
The GA Lab system does not only help organizing the process but also to conduct gap identification and gap assessment work aided by the powerful software tool kit.