Diagnose & Map method guide
Gap Analysis
Gap Analysis compares current and desired states and turns the difference into owned action.
Beginner-friendly guide · 4 min read
What Gap Analysis does
Gap Analysis compares current and desired states and turns the difference into owned action.
Gap analysis compares a defined current state with a desired future state. The difference becomes a specific gap that can be understood, prioritised and assigned to action.
The method sounds simple, but vague targets produce vague gaps. State the measure, scope, evidence, deadline and reason the target matters before proposing work.
Gap analysis is a general management pattern rather than one proprietary framework. Its quality depends on clear target conditions, credible current-state evidence and a direct handoff into action and review.[1][2]
A clear target and credible baseline make the gap explicit. Causes and actions follow.
- 1Current state→
- 2Measured gap→
- 3Root causes→
- 4Actions→
- 5Desired state
InnovationFlow explanatory schematic, synthesised from the method sources[1][2].
Understand the method
The parts in plain language
When to use it
- When goals or standards are clear but the path from today is not.
- After business aims, capability assessment or compliance review.
A practical workflow
- 1
Define a measurable desired state and horizon.
- 2
Describe the current state with evidence and confidence.
- 3
Name the gap, severity, dependencies and cause.
- 4
Assign actions, owners and review points in the roadmap.
Fictional worked example
Example: service response time
This example is illustrative rather than a reported case. A business aims to reduce average diagnostic response from five days to one day.
Observation:Median response is three days, but remote sites wait eight.
Implication:Segment the current state rather than using one average.
Observation:Data access and triage ownership create most delay.
Implication:Do not assume more staff alone will close the gap.
Observation:A standard intake and remote-data pilot address both causes.
Implication:Assign measures, owner and review date in the roadmap.
From analysis to decision
How to interpret the result
- 1Validate both baseline and target.
- 2Prioritise gaps by strategic consequence, not size alone.
- 3Turn selected gaps into owned actions with review points.
The interpretation guidance is an InnovationFlow synthesis of[1][2].
What a useful output looks like
Common pitfalls
- A vague desired state produces vague gaps.
- Do not confuse a symptom with the underlying capability or process gap.
References and method basis
- [1]International Organization for Standardization (2024). Innovation management system - Requirements. ISO 56001:2024. Source ↗International standard
- [2]Phaal, R., Kerr, C., Oughton, D. and Probert, D.R. (2012). Towards a modular toolkit for strategic technology management. International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning, 8(2), 161-181. Source ↗Peer-reviewed research
This guide synthesises the named sources into practical questions for strategy and innovation work. It does not claim that using a tool by itself produces a successful decision.