How to Create a Plan to Fill the Gap

Closing the gap is not about buying expensive software or hiring consultants right away. It’s about designing a structured, realistic roadmap that aligns with your goals and capacity.

Here’s how.

1. Identify the Gaps Objectively

The first step is to look at your current state with complete honesty. No sugarcoating.

Ask:

• What tools are we currently using?

• What skills do we have in our team?

• What’s working—and what’s clearly outdated?

• What are our competitors or industry leaders doing?

Use tools and methods like:

• A tech audit (list all current tools, platforms, infrastructure)

• A skills matrix (what skills your team has vs. what is needed)

• A SWOT analysis focused on technology

• Employee surveys to gather insights from the ground level

2. Prioritize Based on Business Impact

Trying to adopt all the latest technologies at once is a recipe for burnout, confusion, and failure.

Instead, prioritize based on two axes: Impact vs. Effort.

Priority Type	Description	Examples
High Impact, Low Effort	Easy wins that create quick value	Automate reports, use AI writing tools
High Impact, High Effort	Long-term but necessary changes	Cloud migration, full data modernization
Low Impact, Low Effort	Nice-to-have, low priority	Aesthetic changes to UI
Low Impact, High Effort	Avoid these at first	Unnecessary custom system rewrites

3. Create a Realistic, Phased Roadmap

Instead of a massive one-year overhaul, break your plan into bite-sized phases:

🔹 Phase 1: Awareness

Expose your team to new tech trends via articles, workshops, demos, and discussion.

🔹 Phase 2: Pilot Testing

Choose a small team to experiment with a new tool or workflow. Keep it low-risk.

🔹 Phase 3: Evaluation

Did the pilot achieve measurable improvements? Did it save time, reduce costs, or increase satisfaction?

🔹 Phase 4: Scaling

If the pilot was successful, standardize the process and roll it out across other teams or systems.

4. Upskill Your Team Consistently

Technology is only as effective as the people using it.

Develop a culture of learning:

• Provide online learning access (Udemy, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, Pluralsight)

• Set clear learning paths by role (e.g. "Frontend Developer → Next.js + Docker")

• Celebrate certifications and progress

• Create internal sharing sessions (e.g. “Tech Tuesdays”)

Learning isn’t a side project. It’s the foundation of transformation.

5. Evaluate and Iterate Frequently

This step is often ignored, but it’s critical.

Every quarter (or even monthly), ask:

• What worked? What didn’t?

• Are we seeing measurable benefits?

• Do we need to shift focus?

• Are the tools being used properly—or misused?

Use real data and feedback, not assumptions.

Update your roadmap as needed. Agility is not just for developers—it’s for strategy, too.