IT Strategy and Planning Step 6: Conduct a Gap Analysis

🎯 Objective

To systematically identify the differences between the current state and envisioned future state of IT across multiple dimensions, and quantify the scope of transformation required to achieve the strategic vision.

📌 Why It Matters

A Gap Analysis is a foundational step in determining:

What needs to change and where investment is needed
The magnitude and complexity of the transformation
Prioritization of initiatives, reskilling needs, and process redesign
A reality check to align ambition with capacity and budget

This step connects strategic intent with actionable planning.

🧭 Dimensions of Gap Analysis

To gain a holistic view, gaps must be assessed across the following key domains:

Dimension	Guiding Questions
People	Are the current skills, roles, and talent structures aligned with future capabilities?
Process	Are operational and delivery processes modern, agile, and scalable enough?
Technology	Do systems, tools, and infrastructure support innovation, agility, and resilience?
Data	Is data accessible, integrated, secure, and of sufficient quality to drive decisions?
Governance	Are decision-making processes, controls, and compliance frameworks future-fit?

🧰 How to Conduct the Gap Analysis

Step 1: Establish Assessment Criteria

Define what “future-ready” looks like for each dimension
Use maturity models (e.g., CMMI for process, Gartner ITScore, DMM for data)

Step 2: Evaluate Current State vs. Target State

For each dimension, rate current and target maturity levels (e.g., 1–5 scale)
Identify key gaps at the conceptual level (e.g., “centralized cloud ops” vs. “fragmented on-prem operations”)

Step 3: Document Gaps and Implications

Describe the gap clearly and why it matters
Highlight interdependencies (e.g., lacking DevOps talent affects agility and delivery cycles)

Step 4: Prioritize Gaps

Classify gaps by urgency, impact, and feasibility
Identify which gaps must be closed immediately vs. over time

Step 5: Align Gaps to Strategic Initiatives

Map significant gaps to roadmap themes or programs (e.g., cloud transformation, workforce upskilling, etc.)

🧩 Example: Global Snack Retailer – Gap Analysis Snapshot

Dimension	Current State	Target State	Gap & Implication
People	80% of IT staff are generalists with limited cloud skills	Cloud-native skill set; AI/ML and data platform engineers	Large reskilling and hiring effort required; consider partnerships and academies
Process	Traditional waterfall SDLC dominates project delivery	Agile, product-centric delivery model	Process redesign, coaching, and agile transformation roadmap needed
Technology	Legacy monolithic ERP, low cloud adoption	Composable, API-first, multi-cloud architecture	Major investment in modernization, integration and platform decoupling
Data	Fragmented systems, no enterprise data platform	Unified data fabric, self-service analytics	Need for master data management, governance, and platform build-out
Governance	IT and business operate in silos	Joint strategic planning and agile governance	Governance model redesign and change management required

📝 Deliverables from This Step

📊 Multidimensional Gap Matrix (with ratings, targets, and impact descriptions)
🧠 Gap Summary Report outlining strategic implications
🔗 Gap-to-Initiative Mapping Table
🚦 Gap Prioritization Heatmap (by impact and effort)

✅ Best Practices

Keep the analysis conceptual and strategic, not at the technical feature level
Involve cross-functional teams to validate findings
Use this as a bridge to roadmap creation—gaps naturally translate into initiatives