Organization Gap and Alignment Analytics™

With the current need to manage organizations to be as lean as possible, organizational alignment across the board is critical. Tolerance limits for misalignment are very tight. Given the current environment, large gaps can mean the demise of an organization and small gaps can quickly expand to large ones.

HRA has developed a completely unique and innovative web-based measurement technology and tool to identify gaps and optimize alignment. The Alignment Analytics Gap Analyzer technology is used to power online surveys that may be administered to employees, customers and/or other key stakeholders.

The focus of the tool is to assess an organization's alignment relative to the following alignment targets:

• Core Business Strategies and Initiatives
• Emerging Economic Conditions
• Redefined Customer Needs and Requirements
• Competition and Marketplace Factors
• Cross-Functional Synergies
• Regulation and Legal Requirements

Objectives and Outputs

Unlike most traditional survey tools, the goal of the Alignment Analytics Gap Analyzer is not necessarily to simply measure attitudes, opinions, satisfaction or engagement as ends in and of themselves (although, this can be part of the focus). The goal is strictly to assess the degree of alignment and decrease gaps. More specifically, the tool yields the following:

• Organization Gap Magnitude. How big are the gaps?
• Organization Gap Criticality. What are the relative business impacts of each gap?
• Organization Gap Localization. Where are the gaps of greatest concern?
• Improvement Opportunities. What should be done to minimize the gaps?
  
• The Alignment Analytics Gap Analyzer uses an intelligent, interactive design which automatically adjusts questions in the tool based on user responses. The goal of this approach is to optimize respondent efficiency and the value of the data collected.

Content Coverage

The Alignment Analytics Gap Analyzer software is pre-populated with diagnostic content based on an HRA model with the organization alignment targets listed above. However, focus and content can be customized in terms of focal points, organizational context and terminology used to match the needs of different clients and stakeholders.

At a high level, the contents of the tool are built around an organization's greatest area of concern. Specific areas of alignment are defined for each topical area.

Administration

The tool may be completed by individuals or groups. In group settings, representatives from different areas may complete the tool as a team. Using this approach, the group discusses each item until they reach consensus. The advantage of this approach is that the tool becomes a catalyst to generate and focus rich and in-depth discussion within the team. Different perspectives may then be contrasted, compared and reconciled to arrive a unified point of view.

Alternatively, the tool may be completed by individuals independently. With this approach, results are aggregated across individuals. The advantages of this approach are that it is more efficient and can be completed by large samples of participants. The tradeoff of administration to individuals is that it precludes the opportunity for group discussion and working through the issues. Each approach has tradeoffs and should be considered relative to specific organizational circumstances and goals.