Gap analyses are typically brutally honest.
The insights and overviews from internal and external stakeholders are invaluable.
Identifying, isolating and analysing variables and dimensions that are of interest, relevance and importance to existing, prospective and past clients are often refreshing and revealing.
They detail in stark terms the reasons why people and entities seek out, deal with, purchase, utilise, return and become loyal to specific companies, brand names, products, services and applications.
Furthermore, explanations are revealed and heightened of why good sales conversions, lack of responses and losses of clients, revenues and profits do occur.
Disciplined, malleable and well-structured gap analyses ensure that there is
nowhere to hide. Transparency, accountability and measurability are well profiled.
Assumptions, presumptions, naivety and ignorance are sidelined and made both redundant and obsolete.
Improved productivity, efficiency and effectiveness are seemingly natural consequences of ongoing, scheduled gap analyses.
STRIKING GAPS
The philosophy and related mantra of being customer-driven are found wanting when customers and clients, as well as the front-line service providers are asked to nominate a discrete (often 20 factors or less) list of criteria which are employed in the selection and buying processes.
Seldom do the two sets of responses correspond.
Individual dimensions are often worthy of extended review, analysis, possible refinement and adroit application. Significantly, cost is rarely ranked in the top three factors.
The variances average between 15% and 20%. Often, they can differ in up to 50% of instances.
Prioritising those purchase criteria variables adds further to the disparities which typify the perceptions and perspectives of customers and internal service providers.
Clustering the nominated dimensions into weighted groupings of, say, five is equally revealing.
In short, and in reality, the understanding of customers, their needs, wants, values, expectations and preferences is shallow, often misleading and potentially significantly detrimental to the wellbeing, profitability, competitiveness and relevance of service-providing businesses.
Sub-optimal performances of marketing, selling, merchandising, promotional and advertising campaigns, and the reasons why, become apparent.
Refinements and recalibrations need not be expensive and resource-intense.
CUSTOMISED PROBING
Gap analyses are like companies, products, services and brand names. Each is unique.
Informal, casual and occasional analyses count for little. Their implications, consequences and importance are far too serious.
The true value is the input and the resultant outputs. Open, unstructured probing of consumer and service providers’ frames-of-reference provides the content, context and structure of the analysis.
Process is important, but secondary and consequential.
No ideal or optimal model exists. The capabilities are typically available and accessible, much like access to social and digital media.
In all instances, the art is in having, utilising and deploying capabilities. Understanding is, to a considerable measure, intuitive.
Gap analyses are often equated to looking at one’s self (or business) in the mirror. Only on these occasions a three-dimensional reflection is received. The depth and breadth of the images are meaningful and profoundly advantageous.
Presenting, explaining and applying the findings distinguish the true nature of a customer-centric (if you wish, customer obsession) leader is revealed in their willingness to accept the findings, no matter how confronting and brutal.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS
The efficiency, relevance and innate value of gap analyses, like artificial intelligence-generated modelling, improve with ongoing applications. Experience and expertise of practitioners are broadened and deepened.
Resultant business goal settings, performance reviews and briefings (of internal and external resources) are enhanced. Confidence improves, often in parallel with reductions in errors and the margins and frequencies of those errors.
The life-cycle durations of gap analyses are shortening as a consequence of the dynamics of life, lifestyles, economic forces, technology, innovations and creativity.
Change is inevitable. The quantum nature of that change and its rapidity are breathtaking, exciting if you will. Ironically, the variances between the findings of progressive gap analyses are indicative measures of change.
The process is not a waste of time. Indeed, it is an investment in the relevance, competitiveness and future of a business, product, service and application.
VALUE BASED
For those who embrace the concept, process, outcomes and applications, a true measure of the value of gap analyses is a better understanding of existing, prospective and past clients. Invaluable.
Barry Urquhart
Marketing Strategist
Marketing Focus
M: 041 983 5555
E: urquhart@marketingfocus.net.au