Gap Analysis
Kickstart your ISO Certification journey with absolute clarity. Take the guesswork out of the process with an expert-led readiness roadmap.
What is an ISO Gap Analysis?
Think of an ISO Gap Analysis as a health check for your business operations. It is an objective, systematic review that compares your existing management systems, policies, and workflows against the exact requirements of your target ISO management system standard.
The goal is simple: to identify the “gaps” between where your business stands today and where it needs to be to get ready for Certification. Most importantly, it gives you the foundational information needed to strategically plan your way to Certification Readiness. By establishing this baseline early on, you avoid wasting time and resources fixing things that already work, allowing you to focus purely on what’s missing.
Is a Gap Analysis the Right First Step for Your Business?
A Gap Analysis is an incredibly valuable investment. However, it’s only worthwhile if you already have foundational documentation and operational frameworks in place. It measures how closely your existing processes conform to your chosen ISO standards.
What if you are starting from scratch?
If your organisation does not currently have a formal management system (a set of policies, processes and procedures), a Gap Analysis may actually be a waste of your time and budget. In cases where a business is a completely “blank slate,” it is far more cost-effective and efficient to build a brand-new, tailored management system from scratch for Certification Readiness, rather than trying to patch inadequate frameworks.
Not sure where you stand?
We offer a few options to help you understand where you are at with your existing management systems:
Why Partner with us for Your ISO Gap Analysis?
When preparing for ISO certification, the quality of your initial assessment sets the tone for your entire project. Here is why businesses trust ISO Certification Experts to conduct their gap analysis:
How Our Gap Analysis Process Works
We’ve designed our assessment process to be thorough yet highly efficient, usually requiring only one day of remote involvement from your team.
1. Initial System & Documentation Review
We start by reviewing your current Business Management Systems. By giving us view-only access to your documented information, such as policies, operational workflows, software, templates, forms, and relevant records, we can conduct a deep offline review of your existing practices.
2. Team Consultation
Our consultants will host an online meeting with key members of your management and operational staff. We ask targeted questions to understand the day-to-day realities of your business and how they could meet specific ISO clause requirements.
3. Comprehensive Reporting
Following the review, you will receive a detailed report, including all “Required Improvements”. This comprehensive document cross-references your current state against the requirements of your chosen ISO standard(s).
4. Strategy & Handover Meeting
To guarantee clarity, we schedule a 1-hour follow-up session to walk your team through the findings. We’ll translate the complex ISO jargon into plain English and help you map out your next steps toward certification readiness.
Expert Tip:
Not all ISO Gap Analyses are the same. Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) often offer Gap Analysis or assessments, but strict impartiality rules forbid them from consulting. They can only tell you what is missing, not how to fix it. Our independent review gives you both a clear look at your gaps and an actionable roadmap with the exact recommendations for how to close them.
Expert Tip:
Not all ISO Gap Analyses are the same. Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) often offer Gap Analysis or assessments, but strict impartiality rules forbid them from consulting. They can only tell you what is missing, not how to fix it. Our independent review gives you both a clear look at your gaps and an actionable roadmap with the exact recommendations for how to close them.
Expert Tip:
Not all ISO Gap Analyses are the same. Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) often offer Gap Analysis or assessments, but strict impartiality rules forbid them from consulting. They can only tell you what is missing, not how to fix it. Our independent review gives you both a clear look at your gaps and an actionable roadmap with the exact recommendations for how to close them.
Frequently Asked Questions about ISO Internal Audit Services
Have a question we didn’t answer here? Visit our full FAQ page.
Our approach
Our first conversation with people often identifies they don’t know where to start when developing a Business Management System, whether it be to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their business operations for sustainable growth, or for the purpose of achieving Certification Readiness to one or more ISO Management System Standards.
In some cases, they’ve made a start, and have then gotten to a point where they don’t know what to do next, or they’re not sure how to bring it all together. We’ll work with you to determine exactly which Standard(s) and Certification(s) are right for the needs of your business. Then, together we’ll determine exactly what it is that you want to achieve out of the process, along with any deadlines you might need to achieve your goals by. This is your chance to get all your questions answered!
We’ll go through what you already have in place and how effective you think it is, and what you’d like to see change.
We can act as your in-house Systems Manager, or we can simply consult with and coach your team through the process.
We work with all industries and all sizes of organisations, so we’re used to adjusting our services to suit your resources and business requirements.
What are the benefits of ISO Consulting for your business?
Value Creation
Systemise and grow your business with structure and increase its value
Risk Reduction
Identify and act on business risks and opportunities through our expert facilitated business planning process
Time Efficiency
Let us take care of your Certification activities while you focus on your business as usual
Continuous Improvement
Improve your business operations, business processes and overall business performance
Expert Advice
Instant access to our extensive knowledge in ISO management systems and business in general
ISO Certification Guarantee
When you select our Premium ISO Consulting option, we guarantee you will achieve Certification first time
Delivery Methods
Online Consulting
We can do entire projects remotely via online meetings using online conferencing tools of your choosing.
In-Person Consulting
Our consultants can come to your workplace, or you can come to our office.
Please note ISO Certification Experts is not an Accredited Conformity Assessment Body. We’re a consulting and training business, and we do not conduct Third Party Audits to achieve certification to the requirements of a specific ISO Management System standard. Our role is to assist you in achieving ISO Certification Readiness and Business Process Improvement. No single organisation is allowed to do both the consulting and the certification parts of your project, as this is a conflict of interest and not meeting the ISO governing rule requirements.
