Gap analysis template
Compare where you are today with where you want to be, and turn the difference into a plan with owners and dates.
Download for Excel (XLSX) · Download for Word (DOCX). Free to use, no sign-up needed.
| Area or goal | Current state | Desired state | Gap | Root cause | Actions to close the gap | Owner | Priority | Due date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer response time | Enquiries answered in about 2 working days | Every enquiry answered within 1 working day | About 1 day too slow | No shared view of open enquiries; no agreed replies | Put enquiries on one shared board; set a daily check; agree reply templates | Support lead | High | 30 Nov | In progress |
| Client onboarding | Steps differ by account manager | One documented process for every new client | No single way of working | The process was never written down | Write the checklist; save it as a project template; train the team | Head of client services | Medium | 15 Dec | Not started |
What is a gap analysis?
A gap analysis compares where your business is now with where you want it to be, and names what is missing in between. The "gap" is the difference between the current state and the desired state. The point of the exercise is not the comparison itself but the plan that follows: a short list of actions that close each gap.
It works for a whole business, a single team or one process. Common uses include planning for a new year, preparing for an audit, reviewing a team's skills, and working out why a target was missed.
How to use this gap analysis template
- Fill in the details. Say what the analysis covers and what it is for, so everyone reads the table the same way.
- List the areas or goals you want to review, one per row. Keep them specific: "customer response time" is easier to work with than "customer service".
- Describe the current state. Write what is true today, with a number where you have one.
- Describe the desired state. Write what good looks like, with a target and a date if possible.
- Name the gap and its root cause. State the difference in plain words, then why it exists. The root cause is what your actions should fix.
- List the actions that would close the gap, then give each row an owner, a priority and a due date.
- Track the status and write the summary. Mark each row as not started, in progress or done, and note the key findings and top priorities at the end.
Give every row one owner. A gap that belongs to everyone tends to be closed by no one.
What the template includes
- Details: the subject of the analysis, its objective, who prepared it, the date and the next review date.
- Area or goal: what you are reviewing.
- Current state and desired state: where you are and where you want to be.
- Gap and root cause: the difference between the two, and why it exists.
- Actions to close the gap: the specific steps to take.
- Owner, priority and due date: who is responsible, how urgent it is, and by when.
- Status: not started, in progress or done, so the document stays useful after the first meeting.
- Summary and next steps: key findings, the top three priorities, the resources needed and how you will measure success.
The Excel version has drop-down lists for priority and status, a progress count that updates as you fill in the table, and a short guide on a second sheet. The Word version has the same sections on a landscape page for printing or sharing.
A worked example
Take the first row of the preview above. A support team answers enquiries in about two working days (the current state) and wants to answer every one within a single working day (the desired state). The gap is about a day. Asking why leads to the root cause: nobody can see all the open enquiries in one place, and each reply is written from scratch.
The actions follow from the cause, not the symptom: put enquiries on one shared board, check it daily and agree a set of reply templates. With an owner, a priority and a due date, the row has become a small plan that someone can be asked about next week.
Tips for a useful gap analysis
- Use evidence, not opinion. Base the current state on numbers, records or what customers have said.
- Limit the list. Five to ten rows that get acted on are better than forty that do not.
- Rank the gaps. Deal first with the ones that matter most to customers or revenue.
- Turn actions into tasks. An action with no owner and no date is a wish. Put each one where your team tracks its work.
- Review it again. Revisit the analysis each quarter to see which gaps have closed.
From gap analysis to action
A gap analysis only helps if the actions get done. Once the table is filled in, move each action into the tool your team already uses for its work. In Coavon, each action can become a task in Flow with an owner and a due date, and the analysis itself can sit in Docs or Drive beside the project. For work that repeats, see our guide to workflow automation.
Frequently asked questions
Is this gap analysis template free?
Yes. You can download the Excel or Word file and use it without creating an account.
What is the difference between a gap analysis and a SWOT analysis?
A SWOT analysis lists strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to give a broad picture. A gap analysis is narrower: it measures the distance between a current state and a specific target, and lists the actions needed to close it.
How often should we do a gap analysis?
Many teams do one as part of annual or quarterly planning, and again whenever a target is missed or a major change is planned.