In addition to understanding some guiding principles of gap analysis, organizations also need to master some basic analysis methods, usually including personnel interviews, questionnaires, document review, etc., and also use some auxiliary analysis tools, such as radar charts and checklists, etc. .

  1. Personnel interview

  As one of the most commonly used methods in gap analysis, the biggest feature of personnel interview is that the investigator and the respondents complete the information collection through face-to-face direct conversation, which has good flexibility and adaptability. Interviews can usually be divided into structured interviews and unstructured interviews. The former is conducted according to directional standard procedures, usually using questionnaires or questionnaires; the latter refers to free conversations without directional standardized procedures.

  In the ISO20000 certification gap analysis work, the personnel interview method can be more used to communicate with the management/process core management personnel to understand the operation overview of the overall structure of the system. The focus of interviewing is to select appropriate objects and forms, prepare adequately, formulate reasonable questions, create an appropriate situation, and reduce subjectivity and inducement.

  2. Questionnaire survey

  , also known as "written investigation method" or "form filling method", is an investigation method that indirectly collects information materials in written form. In the preparatory work, the organization usually uses a large number of questionnaires to collect relevant information. In the gap analysis stage, the questionnaire design can focus more on the comparison with the certification standards, that is, the "should" situation and the "actual" situation of the organization. comparison and analysis.

  3. File access

  Document review is one of the commonly used methods in certification audit. It is used in gap analysis and usually includes the review of management documents and operation records in the existing system. Compared with other methods of investigation and analysis, it is more suitable for collecting definitional and detailed information due to the relatively static and indirect way of document retrieval. At the same time, the document review can also be used as a supplement and confirmation of personnel interviews and questionnaires.

  In addition to the above methods, the gap analysis can also be conducted in the form of on-site investigation, through on-site real-time observation of the current status of the operation of various processes in the organization, combined with the results of previous questionnaires and interviews, to observe the gap between the actual operation of the organization and the ISO20000 standard.

  4. Radar chart

   Radar chart, also known as Debra chart or spider web chart, was originally a comprehensive evaluation method of financial status adopted by Japanese business circles, and now it has become a kind of financial analysis chart. The figures or ratios obtained from various financial analysis of a company are concentrated on a circular chart with respect to its more important items to show the situation of various financial ratios of a company. Users can understand the company's various financial ratios at a glance. Changes in financial indicators and their trends.

The traditional method of making a radar chart is: first, draw three concentric circles, the smallest circle of the concentric circles represents 1/2 value or the lowest level of the average level of the same industry, and the middle circle represents the average level of the same industry, also known as the standard line, The largest circle represents the advanced level or target level of the same industry; secondly, divide the 360 degrees of these three circles into five sectors, which represent the areas of profitability, safety, liquidity, growth and productivity indicators: then, From the center of the sector area, draw the corresponding financial indicator lines in the form of radial lines, and indicate the indicator name and scale. The scale of the financial indicator line and the size of the concentric circles are determined by the dimension of the operating ratio and the level of the same industry. Finally, mark the corresponding index values of the organization in the same period on the graph with points, and connect adjacent points with line segments in turn, and the closed loop of polygonal lines formed represents the actual financial situation of the organization.

   In fact, the graphical analysis method represented by the radar chart has already stepped out of the field of financial analysis, and is also widely used in the field of IT consulting and certification.

   First, use the ITSM maturity model to calculate the organization's ITSM maturity. Then, take 20% as a unit, draw 5 concentric circles and divide them into several sectors, each sector represents a management area. Then, the values corresponding to the organization are marked on the map and connected to form a closed polygon to display the organization's IT service management maturity.

When the index value is closer to the inner side of the concentric circle, it means that the index is lower than the level of the same industry or the standard requirement and needs to be improved; if it is close to or within the minimum negative circle, it means that the index is in a very poor state, which is a danger to the system operation. If it is on the outside of the concentric circles, it means that the indicator is in an ideal state, which is the advantage of the organization. Of course, not all indicators are best if they are on the outside, and specific indicators should be analyzed in detail.

  5. Checklist

  Checklist (checklist) is a commonly used method of information collection and analysis, and preparation of checklists is an important work content in the gap assessment and audit stages.

  In the gap assessment stage, the organization can use a professional checklist to score the process maturity to understand the difference between the current state of the organization's process and the ISO standard. When using a process checklist, you can usually base yourself on the following starting points:

  (1) Inquiry process overview;

  (2) How processes and processes affect each other within the organization;

  (3) How the process is controlled;

  (4) how processes are monitored and measured;

  (5) Is there evidence of continuous improvement.

The above briefly introduces some methods and auxiliary tools for gap analysis. Organizations should select an appropriate combination of tools according to their own conditions. They can adopt methods and methods that are easy to carry out and relatively familiar with, or they can choose other methods and tools not described in this article. The purpose of gap analysis is not to use as many methods and tools as possible. After all, each method and tool requires a certain cost input.