Gap analysis is particularly useful in the initial stages of project development, as it helps the project manager and the team project manager to identify the tasks that must be accomplished to complete the project. A gap analysis is a tool used to identify the gap between the current state of the business and the future state the business wants to achieve (Evison, 2014). It also includes the tasks that need to be accomplished to narrow the gap between the two states. Performing a gap analysis helps identify the gaps that need to be addressed to be closed and what needs to happen to successfully complete the project. The first step in carrying out a gap analysis is to identify the future state, that is, the objectives that the company wishes to achieve by completing the project (Evison, 2014). The second step involves analyzing the current state of the company in relation to each of the objectives identified in the first step (Evison, 2014). This step requires the organization to be completely honest and lay out the facts about the organization's current state versus the desired future state. The third step is to identify ways to bridge the gap between the future and current state of the business (Evison, 2014). This step involves determining what needs to be done to make the goals listed in the future state of the business a reality. For example, the company's desired future state is for each member of the project team to be autonomous. The current state of the company is that four out of eight project members are motivated. The organization can change its reward system from external rewards to rewards that promote pride in job performance. The company can even interview project team members to determine why the members are causing the lack of motivation. The...... middle of paper ......t allows the project manager to keep the project on time and within budget if there is a deviation noted in the project plan. Earned value analysis is another tool used to measure project progress using variances in schedule, cost and budget to identify gaps in the project plan and allows the project manager to align the project on the project plan (Lewis, 2011). References: Businessballs. (2014). Project Management: Project management, project planning tools, processes, plans and tips. Retrieved from http://www.businessballs.com/project.htm Evison, A. (2014). Gap analysis: identify what needs to be done in a project. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/gap-analysis.htmLewis, J.P. (2011). Project Planning, Scheduling, and Control: A Practical Guide to Delivering Projects on Time and on Budget (5th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill.