Free Gap Analysis Template

This Gap Analysis template is used by business analysts to compare current and future state honestly, so the real size of a change effort is visible before a project is scoped in detail.

What Is a Gap Analysis?

A Gap Analysis documents where an organisation stands today (current state) against where it needs to be (future state), then identifies the specific gaps between the two — and what it would take, across people, process, technology, and data, to close each one. Done properly, it turns a vague sense that “things need to change” into a concrete, ownable list of what actually has to happen.

What Should a Gap Analysis Include?

• Current state description — how things actually work today, flaws included, not an idealised version
• Future state description — the desired target, specific enough to compare against
• Identified gaps — the concrete differences between the two
• Gap category — people, process, technology, or data, so ownership is clear
• Impact of each gap — what happens if it isn’t closed
• Priority — which gaps matter most and should be addressed first
• Recommended actions — what specifically needs to happen to close each gap

Current State vs Future State — What’s the Difference?

Current state (as-is) is a factual, honest account of how things work right now — including the workarounds, manual steps, and known problems, not a cleaned-up version. Future state (to-be) is the desired target once change has been delivered. The gap analysis itself only has value if current state is documented honestly first: jump straight to describing the future state and there’s no baseline left to measure the real size of the gap against.

Common Mistakes When Running a Gap Analysis

• Skipping current state. Jumping straight to the future state vision feels faster but makes it impossible to size the actual change effort or spot gaps hiding in existing workarounds.
• Vague gaps. “Process needs improvement” isn’t a gap anyone can action — name specifically what’s missing and what closing it requires.
• No categorisation. Gaps not sorted into people/process/technology/data tend to produce action items with no clear owner.
• Treated as a one-off exercise. A gap analysis done once at project start and never revisited goes stale the moment scope shifts — it should be a live reference, not an archived document.

What’s Included in This Template

• Pre-structured sections with guidance notes
• Worked examples from real BA projects
• Guidance for Agile, waterfall, and hybrid approaches
• Easy to adapt to your organisation’s standards

How to Use This Template

Document current state by observing and talking to the people who do the work today, not by relying on how a process is supposed to work on paper — the two are often different. Each section has guidance notes explaining what to include and why — based on real BA practice, not textbook theory. Remove sections that don’t apply and add organisation-specific fields.

Gaps identified here often become the process steps documented in a Process Map — the gap analysis identifies what needs to change, the process map shows exactly how the new process will actually work.

Why Requirements Templates Matter

Consistent documentation is one of the most underrated BA skills. A well-structured document:

• Sets clear expectations from day one
• Reduces “we didn’t know that was in scope” conversations
• Creates an audit trail for decisions and changes
• Speeds up new team member onboarding
• Builds your credibility as a professional BA

Browse All Free Templates

Our free BA template library covers 15 core documents. For 175 practitioner-level templates covering the full BA lifecycle, see our BA Toolkit — Complete Pack. Free account required for the library, no payment.

Want to Master These Tools?

Templates are a starting point. Our BA training courses teach you how to apply them in real projects — with exercises, feedback, and examples from experienced BAs. Start with our free intro course.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Gap Analysis used for?

It compares current and future state, identifies the gaps between them, and recommends what’s needed — in people, process, technology, or data — to close each one.

What is the difference between current state and future state?

Current state is an honest account of how things work today, flaws included. Future state is the desired target. The gap analysis only works if current state is documented honestly first.

Should gaps be categorised?

Yes — categorising gaps as people, process, technology, or data makes ownership clear and avoids vague, unactionable findings.

Benjamen Walsh

Founder, BBA Institute · Certified Business Analyst

Benjamen Walsh is the founder of the Better Business Analysis Institute (BBAI) and a practising business analyst with over a decade of experience delivering change across New Zealand and Australia. He has trained over 200+ business analysts through BBAI certification programmes and hosts The Better Business Analyst Podcast (138+ episodes). Benjamen works with organisations including Corporates, Consultancies, Non for Profits, Small Businesses and the New Zealand Government.

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