Copyright Eddie Obeng 1993 – 2004 All rights reserved GapAnalysis TM A LearningByte TM from Putting Strategy to WorkPutting Strategy to Work by [email protected]

Copyright Eddie Obeng 1993 – 2004 All rights reserved

GapAnalysisTM

A LearningByteTM from Putting Strategy to Work

by

[email protected]

PLEASE VIEW THIS AS A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

http://www.pentaclethevbs.com/

http://domino-212.pentacle.co.uk/mailhand.nsf/message/


The beaten path is the safest...but the traffic is terrible!

Jeff Taylor

~80% of projects are either fixing activities which will not solve the problem, are incomplete or involve greater effort than the benefit which they will generate

If a problem has more than one cause it will not be easily understood or fixed. The problems which keep us awake are rarely the underlying problems simply the symptoms we have discussed time and time again.




Gap Analysis is the tool you use to convince people to address the underlying problems or issues at the start of a project or chunk of change. We use the word ‘gap’ and not ‘problem’ or ‘issue’ to encourage judgement free lateral thinking




1. Interview/ discuss the future situation or state with key stakeholders. Once that is

fully understood discuss the current situation with them. The objective is to

create 3/4 ways of describing the difference (GAP) between the future state

and the current state.




2. Organise a workshop of the key stakeholders explain to them that you have listened to comments about the future state and the current state and have discovered

some Gaps. (don’t use the word problem or issue)

Explain that you have tried to word the Gap in a number of different ways.

On the flipchart offer a number of alternative wordings for the Gap you have identified




3. Once your stakeholders have agreed on a form of words for the gap white the Gap down in the middle of your flipchart. And

hand out post-its




GAP:




4.a Ask the stakeholders to write down their views and opinions on what they anticipate

will happen if the gap is NOT fixed.




GAP:

IMPLICATIONSIf not fixed




4.b Ask the stakeholders to write down their views and opinions on what they anticipate

will happen if the gap is NOT fixed.

ONE point per post-it. (one point per person)

Ask them to write down financial numbers if they know them - wherever relevant




GAP:





5. Collect the post-its and put them on the flip chart. Try to group the post-its so that

similar topics are together. Once you have collected all the post-its summarise for the stakeholders what the grouped topics are.




GAP:





6. Repeat the process, this time asking what will happen if it is fixed.




GAP:

IMPLICATIONSIf not fixed If fixed




7. Summarise the situation and use the data collected to create a business case




7. Now repeat the process but this time asking the stakeholders to give you their thoughts on ‘Why the gap hasn’t been

closed yet?’




GAP:

IMPLICATIONSIf not fixed If fixed

Why the gap hasn’t been closed yet? Why not fixed yet?




8. Group the causes and use them to create the scope of the project. This gives you a view of the full areas of change the project

will need to address in order to successfully address the gap




9. For the key groups of causes carry out a StickyStepTM planning session to give you

an immediate action plan.




10. Here’s a quick example...




Copyright Obeng 2001 all rights reserved

…our people are notinnovating enough...

So lets get them innovatingmore...




Copyright Obeng 2001 all rights reserved

…our people are notinnovating enough...

So lets get them innovatingmore...




< GAP >

… IF FIXED...…IF NOT FIXED...

WHY NOT FIXED YET?(POSSIBLE CAUSES)




< GAP >



Our level of innovation is too

low


low




< GAP >




low


low

Profits will fall by ~14%

Sales decline will continue 5%p.a

trend

We’ll get bought up

Competitor products will look better than

oursWe will continue to have few new

products in the market




< GAP >




low


low



trend





Some of our key people will be

diverted from D2D business

Customer satisfaction will

increase

Our revenues will increase by about

1%

Our marketing budget may be

overspent (10%)

We will have some products people

want to buy

Profits will fall this year (3%) & rise next

year (2%)




< GAP >




low


low



trend





Our People don’t know it’s required of

them

People are scared of failure

The hierarchy doesn’t allow you to pursue any

idea which isn’t your bosses

Our People try to bring all the skills required

themselves (no partners)

Our People don’t know where to look

for stimuli




increase


1%


overspent (10%)


want to buy


year (2%)

There is no easy way of checking if an innovation is any

good

Our People have seen other’s

ridiculed for trying to lead innovation

We kill innovation on a whim




< GAP >




low


low



trend





Our People don’t know it’s required of

them


The hierarchy doesn’t allow you to pursue any

idea which isn’t your bosses



Our People don’t know where to look

for stimuli




increase


1%


overspent (10%)


want to buy


year (2%)

There is no easy way of checking if

an innovation is any good







< GAP >




low


low



trend





Our People don’t know it’s required

of them


The hierarchy doesn’t allow you to

pursue any idea which isn’t your

bosses



Our People don’t know where to look for stimuli




increase


1%


overspent (10%)


want to buy


year (2%)

There is no easy way of checking if








Planning the un-plannable

StickyStepsTM

From the book All Change!




IN ORDER TO HAVE … ( VERB ) …….

WE MUST HAVE…( VERB ) …….

<WHAT?>






Created an easy way of checking if





WHAT?IN ORDER TO HAVE … ( VERB ) …….

WE MUST HAVE…( VERB ) …….Reviewed what made a good

innovation in the past



Trained up/ informed people on how to use the checks

Found a way to make the criteria readily available

Worked out our criteria for a good

innovation

Established the nature/ scale

required to meet strategy




1. Earlyish lateish - normal2. Easy hard credibility3. Engaging key stakeholders mixed involvement

WHAT?IN ORDER TO HAVE … ( VERB ) …….

WE MUST HAVE…( VERB ) …….Reviewed what made a good







innovation



Reviewed what made a good





innovation



Sequence:




‘Park out of the way’

Reviewed what made a good





innovation







interviewed people associated with past

innovationsinterviewed

customers as to what we’ve done in

past

Studied how investment/ returns

happenedT

TT

T Task levelKey




WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEKS 3/ 4

MONTH 2 MONTH 3 QUARTER 2

NOW

SOON LATER

WHO




WHO WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEKS 3/ 4


NOW

SOON LATER




pastStudied how

investment/ returns happened T

T

T

Jo

Freda

Marcel

Revie

wed

wh

at

mad

e

a g

ood

in

novati

on

in t

he p

ast






WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEKS 3/ 4


NOW

SOON LATER




pastStudied how


T

T

Jo(3days)Freda(4days)Marcel(2days)




innovation



Revie

wed

wh

at

mad

e

a g

ood

in

novati

on

in t

he p

ast

Me(2days)Team(4days)

Team (est. 14days)



WHO




WHO WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEKS 3/ 4


NOW

SOON LATER




pastStudied how


T

T

Jo

Freda

Marcel




innovation



Revie

wed

wh

at

mad

e

a g

ood

in

novati

on

in t

he p

ast

Me

Team

Team






Planning the un-plannable

StickyStepsTM

From the book All Change!




GapAnalysisTM

A LearningByteTM from Putting Strategy to Work

by

[email protected]

http://www.pentaclethevbs.com



Documents

Copyright Eddie Obeng 1993 – 2004 All rights reserved GapAnalysis TM A LearningByte TM from Putting Strategy to WorkPutting Strategy to Work by [email protected]