Gap analysis

[mudskipper]

I'm attending a workshop next week to do a gap analysis between a system developed by European colleagues and client's UK requirements.

Are there any recommended approaches / methodologies, or do I go with my usual 'wing it and hope' approach? (Links would be useful)

The requirements aren't documented - I have a high level understanding, and am going with colleague who knows the business side.

[Mich the Tester]

I thought this thread would be about sex.

[speling bee]

I'm attending a workshop next week to do a gap analysis between a system developed by European colleagues and client's UK requirements.

Are there any recommended approaches / methodologies, or do I go with my usual 'wing it and hope' approach? (Links would be useful)

The requirements aren't documented - I have a high level understanding, and am going with colleague who knows the business side.

Google is your friend. I ran a lessons learnt workship this week. After 10 google directed minutes and some writing on flip charts they thought me a genius.

[doodab]

I never understood the whole white t shirt and khakis thing.

[Mich the Tester]

I'm attending a workshop next week to do a gap analysis between a system developed by European colleagues and client's UK requirements.

Are there any recommended approaches / methodologies, or do I go with my usual 'wing it and hope' approach? (Links would be useful)

The requirements aren't documented - I have a high level understanding, and am going with colleague who knows the business side.

Oh sorry, I didn't realise you'd asked a question.

Erm, wing it and hope. Failing that, bluff it.

[EternalOptimist]

mind the gap

[suityou01]

I'm attending a workshop next week to do a gap analysis between a system developed by European colleagues and client's UK requirements.

Are there any recommended approaches / methodologies, or do I go with my usual 'wing it and hope' approach? (Links would be useful)

The requirements aren't documented - I have a high level understanding, and am going with colleague who knows the business side.

Couple of things to watch out for. Firstly you say there are no documented requirements, so you have nothing to gap against. First things first, retro-fit a requirements baseline from the stakeholders. Interview them separately. Then have a group session to ratify the baseline.

Then do your gap analysis, using you intuition and common sense. Remember gap analysis works both ways, anything the system does do that wasn't in the baseline is an over delivery, so you are seen to be thorough and give credit where it's due to your European contingent. Don't make enemies of them, you'll need them later.

Then get an idea of expended effort. Also try and independently get an estimate against your baseline and compare the two. Odds are they won't be even close.

Going on from this you'll probably want to prioritise the gaps, and look at a tactical solution for the short term, workarounds etc. Then deliver a strategic solution for long term. Deliver short and fast. Your stakeholders are already ticked off so throw them a bone, and quick.

This one could run and run. What a beautiful project to be leading. Where there's chaos, there's cash.

[mudskipper]

Couple of things to watch out for. Firstly you say there are no documented requirements, so you have nothing to gap against. First things first, retro-fit a requirements baseline from the stakeholders. Interview them separately. Then have a group session to ratify the baseline.

Then do your gap analysis, using you intuition and common sense. Remember gap analysis works both ways, anything the system does do that wasn't in the baseline is an over delivery, so you are seen to be thorough and give credit where it's due to your European contingent. Don't make enemies of them, you'll need them later.

Then get an idea of expended effort. Also try and independently get an estimate against your baseline and compare the two. Odds are they won't be even close.

Going on from this you'll probably want to prioritise the gaps, and look at a tactical solution for the short term, workarounds etc. Then deliver a strategic solution for long term. Deliver short and fast. Your stakeholders are already ticked off so throw them a bone, and quick.

This one could run and run. What a beautiful project to be leading. Where there's chaos, there's cash.

No-one's ticked off, and European colleagues are our 'friends' - I think the biggest threat to success is that their developers don't speak English. Their system looks good and doesn't overlap too much with the system I built in the UK, which, if all goes to plan, they will adopt and we'll integrate the two into one beautiful process.

[suityou01]

No-one's ticked off, and European colleagues are our 'friends' - I think the biggest threat to success is that their developers don't speak English. Their system looks good and doesn't overlap too much with the system I built in the UK, which, if all goes to plan, they will adopt and we'll integrate the two into one beautiful process.

You're welcome

[Gonzo]

Depends what you mean by 'gap analysis'.

If you are doing what I would call a 'gap analysis' where you are assessing how closely a system fulfils the client's needs then Suity's response is spot on. You need a list of prioritised requirements and then you tick them off depending on whether or not the new system will meet them. Then you investigate the feasibility of enhancements for those requirements that did not get ticked off. The prioritisation will guide whether or not they can live without any particular enhancement, and hence total costs.

Getting the list together is where all the effort goes.

If the client has already decided that they want to go ahead with two things talking to each other and you are investigating the technical 'gaps' then that is something different that I am not so familiar with.