GAP Analyses help uncover shortfalls in some process or characteristic. They are done against a template or model, such as SMS Pro's model adapted from various SMS guidance documents published in Canada, The United Kingdom and The United States. At the core of gap analysis checklist tools are two questions:

1. Where are we?
2. Where do we want to be?

GAP Analysis checklist tools are often used to discover where to focus an aviation service provider's efforts on improvement. GAP Analysis checklist tools compare characteristics of an organization's operations against an appropriate model. GAP Analysis checklist results highlight areas where requirements of the model are not fully realized and details necessary changes.

Required changes indicate existing gaps between aviation service organizations' current operations and desired states and which areas are likely to be the most responsive to improvement efforts. Managers can then judge which areas, when improved, would be most beneficial to the organization.

The best aviation SMS gap analysis checklist tools have historical reporting to monitor continuous improvement.

Recommended usage:

1. Perform initial GAP Analysis.
2. Analyze where most improvement can be made with least effort.
3. Perform another GAP Analysis.
4. Determine whether improvements have been made.
5. Use graphs to note improvements or degrading processes.
6. Repeat as necessary.

SMS Pro has the following free aviation SMS Checklist Tools integrated into the Web-based database program:

Furthermore, SMS Pro's Gap Analysis tools have:

• Charts and graphs;
• Historical reports;
• Enhanced documentation retention; and
• Print-able reports.

A gap analysis can be worked on as a team over an extended period and not only in a single Internet session.

Finally, gap analyses can be customized in SMS Pro's Custom Inspection Form module.