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Management systemTerm

Gap analysis

A gap analysis compares your organisation's current situation with the requirements of a standard or scheme and shows where you do not yet comply and what you need to do.

Explanation

You go through the requirements, assess for each one what you already have and what is missing, and record the differences (gaps). You do this based on documents, evidence and conversations with employees. The result is a list of shortcomings that you can prioritise.

You often use a gap analysis at the start of an implementation project, such as for ISO 9001 or VCA, or for a new version of a standard. That way you know what to put in order before the certification audit takes place. Each gap becomes an action with an owner and a deadline.

It differs from an internal audit. An audit tests whether your system works and is repeated periodically, while a gap analysis shows for one moment where you stand against a standard. They flow into each other: after the gap analysis comes implementation, then the audit.

Example from practice

A company that wants to introduce ISO 45001 for the first time compares its existing procedures and records with the requirements. If it turns out that the overview of legal obligations is missing, that becomes the first action.

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In BrydgeOne

Where you work with Gap analysis

GAP analysisSee at a glance where you fall short of the standard. Standards frameworkStandard clauses linked to your own evidence. Audit-ready checkSee what is still missing, clause by clause. ISO 9001Quality ISO 14001Environment ISO 45001Health and safety VCASafety for contractors
Knowledge base

Keep reading

Preparing for a certification audit: checklist for the final weeks and the day itselfPreparing for a certification audit is mostly about making sure you can show what you already do. This guide gives a checklist for the final weeks and audit day, describes what auditors often ask and explains how to handle findings. Introducing ISO 9001: how to set up a quality management systemISO 9001 is the most widely known standard for quality management. It helps you deliver consistently what customers expect and keep getting better. Here is how to set up a system that fits your organisation instead of a pile of documents. Implementing ISO 45001: a step-by-step plan for safe and healthy workISO 45001 is the international standard for an occupational health and safety management system. It helps you prevent accidents and work-related ill health rather than only recording them afterwards. This step-by-step plan shows how to put the standard into practice, from the first baseline to certification. Carrying out an ISO gap analysis: how to run a baseline assessment for ISO 9001, 14001 or 45001A gap analysis, also called a baseline assessment, compares for each requirement of a standard what you already have with what is missing, and ends in an action plan with an owner and a deadline. You do it before implementation, shortly before the certification audit and when a new version of the standard appears. This guide covers the steps, an example result and the mistakes that make a baseline assessment useless.
Glossary

See also

Being audit-readyBeing audit-readyInternal auditInternal auditCertificationCertificationBOCFBrydgeOne Control FrameworkISO 9001ISO 9001 Quality management systems

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