Gap Management
Ensure IT services meet business needs by addressing projected gaps between the supply of IT services and likely business demand. This might include measures such as capacity expansion, changes in charging structures, product or service substitutions, training programmes for end users, and the association of incentives and penalties with particular usage patterns.
Improvement Planning
Practices-Outcomes-Metrics (POM)
Representative POMs are described for Gap Management at each level of maturity.
- 2Basic
- Practices
- Systematically analyse demand and supply in order to identify near-term gaps.
- Begin to define and use metrics for gap quantification.
- Outcome
- Information is generally available on gaps; some quantification is available.
- Metrics
- % of IT service demand-supply gaps identified through the formal review process.
- % of IT service identified gaps that are quantified per annum.
- Practices
- Identify optimization opportunities in a systematic way.
- Identify and manage a few strategies to address those opportunities.
- Outcome
- Identification of optimization opportunities is improving and becoming more consistent.
- Metrics
- % of IT service optimization opportunities identified through the formal review process.
- % of IT service identified opportunities implemented per annum.
- 3Intermediate
- Practice
- Document the gaps between current demand for and supply of existing IT services, and how these could be addressed with new or emerging technologies.
- Outcome
- A robust business case can be made for investment in appropriate technologies.
- Metric
- Percentage of identified gaps in demand-supply where new or emerging technologies have the potential to deliver positive return on investment (ROI).
- Practice
- Ensure the process for identifying demand-supply gaps covers both short-term and long-term strategic planning horizons.
- Outcome
- Formal, structured information on gaps between demand and supply is available and understood.
- Metrics
- % of IT service demand-supply gaps identified through the formal review process.
- % of IT service identified gaps that are quantified per annum.
- Practice
- Conduct formal measurement and quantification of gaps.
- Outcome
- Formal, structured information on gaps between demand and supply is available and understood.
- Metrics
- % of IT service demand-supply gaps identified through the formal review process.
- % of IT service identified gaps that are quantified per annum.
- Practices
- Implement a formal, structured process to ensure all opportunities for optimization are identified.
- Regularly review all strategies for optimization.
- Outcome
- Optimization opportunities are regularly identified and reviewed for action.
- Metrics
- % of IT service optimization opportunities identified through the formal review process.
- % of identified IT service opportunities implemented per annum.
- 4Advanced
- Practice
- Regularly measure and review metrics to accurately quantify any gaps identified.
- Outcome
- Comprehensive gap analysis and reporting are available.
- Metrics
- % of IT service demand-supply gaps identified through the formal review process.
- % of IT service identified gaps that are quantified per annum.
- Practice
- Implement comprehensive strategies for proactively identifying optimization opportunities and managing them.
- Outcomes
- Optimization opportunities are well understood and managed, and are articulated in terms of business value.
- They are prioritized based on established organization/IT criteria.
- Metrics
- % of IT service optimization opportunities identified through the formal review process.
- % of identified IT service opportunities implemented per annum.
- 5Optimized
- Practice
- Continually review and improve the effectiveness of the gap analysis process and metrics used, and evaluate the process against best practice models.
- Outcomes
- An optimized gap analysis process is in use.
- Best practice gap analysis and reporting is available.
- Metrics
- % of IT service demand-supply gaps identified through the formal review process.
- % of IT service identified gaps that are quantified per annum.
- Practices
- Continually improve the process to identify and manage optimization opportunities.
- Benchmark strategies for optimization against industry best practice. Proactively seek out and deploy innovative strategies.
- Outcome
- A targeted and prioritized set of optimization opportunities is identified, managed, and actioned effectively.
- Metrics
- % of IT service optimization opportunities identified through the formal review process.
- % of identified IT service opportunities implemented per annum.