process-gap-and-exception-analysis

name	process-gap-and-exception-analysis
description	Identify deviations, gaps, and exception paths between an as-is process capture and its intended design. Use this skill when the user wants to find where a process breaks down, where steps are missing or inconsistent, where exception handling is undefined, or where current execution differs from documented procedure. Use when they say "what's wrong with the current process", "find the gaps", "where does this break", or "analyze exceptions". Produces a gap analysis report and exception catalog.
license	MIT
homepage	https://github.com/overkillhill/mermaid-diagram-bpmn/tree/main/skills/process-gap-and-exception-analysis
repository	https://github.com/overkillhill/mermaid-diagram-bpmn
metadata	{"bp_skill_version":"0.3.0","status":"core","version":"0.1.0","author":"OverKill Hill P³","project":"BP-SKILL: Business Process Agent Skill Suite","category":"process-analysis","standards_refs":["BPM CBOK v4 §5.2 (Process Analysis Techniques)","BABOK v3 §10.11 (Business Rules Analysis)","ISO 9001:2015 §10.2 (Nonconformity and corrective action)","Six Sigma DMAIC — Analyse phase"],"produces":"gap-analysis.yaml, exception-catalog.yaml","consumes":"as-is-process.yaml","depends_on":["as-is-process-capture"],"tags":"gap-analysis, exception-analysis, process-improvement, root-cause, nonconformity, BPM-CBOK, six-sigma","triggers":["find the gaps in this process","what's wrong with the current process","exception analysis","where does this break","process gaps","analyze exceptions","root cause analysis","process improvement"]}

Purpose

Systematically identify gaps, deviations, and exception paths in a captured as-is process. The analysis distinguishes:

1. Structural gaps — missing steps, undefined roles, absent inputs or outputs
2. Execution gaps — steps performed inconsistently or only by specific individuals
3. Exception gaps — failure paths with no documented handling
4. Compliance gaps — steps missing required controls or policy references

---

When to use this skill

• You have an as-is-process.yaml and want to identify improvement opportunities
• User asks where the current process fails, slows down, or creates risk
• Preparing the input for future-state-and-change-strategy
• User needs a root cause analysis of a known process failure

When NOT to use this skill

• No as-is capture exists — run as-is-process-capture first
• User wants to design the future state immediately — note the gap analysis is needed first, then run future-state-and-change-strategy
• Do not propose solutions here — record gaps only; solutions belong in the future-state skill

---

Gap Analysis Framework

scripts/analyze-gaps.mjs analyses the as-is process for the following gap types:

Type 1 — Structural gaps

Pattern	Gap description
Step with no actor_role_id	Unowned activity
No start event or end event	Missing process boundary
Input with no source	Untraced input
Output with no consumer	Undelivered output
business_rules empty	Undocumented constraints

Type 2 — Execution gaps

Pattern	Gap description
capture_quality: low on step	Poorly understood activity
Step with notes containing "usually" or "sometimes"	Inconsistent execution
Single person as sole performer across >50% of steps	Key-person dependency

Type 3 — Exception gaps

Pattern	Gap description
Decision point with no exception path	Unhandled failure branch
Exception in PIR with no handling	Undefined recovery procedure
Exception path with owner_role_id empty	Unowned error handling

Type 4 — Compliance gaps

Pattern	Gap description
controls empty on process	No governance controls
Approval step with no approver role	Missing segregation of duties
High-risk exception with no escalation path	Escalation path undefined

---

Severity Classification

Severity	Description
critical	Process cannot complete without this being resolved
major	Significant risk of nonconformity or failure
minor	Inconsistency or improvement opportunity
observation	Informational — no immediate action required

---

Exception Catalog

For each exception found, record:

• exception_id — stable identifier
• description — what goes wrong
• trigger_condition — what causes this exception
• affected_steps[] — which act-NNN IDs are affected
• current_handling — what the process does today (if anything)
• severity — critical | major | minor | observation
• recommended_action — brief description (not a full solution)

---

Handoff Instruction

Pass gap-analysis.yaml and exception-catalog.yaml to future-state-and-change-strategy to prioritise gaps and design the target state.

Also use exception-catalog.yaml to enrich exception_paths[] in process-narrative-authoring.

---

References

Load on demand:

• references/gap-analysis-framework.md — gap type taxonomy, severity classification, and root cause analysis templates

Scripts

• scripts/analyze-gaps.mjs — detects structural, execution, exception, and compliance gaps from as-is-process.yaml

Assets

• assets/fixtures/gap-analysis-example.yaml — canonical gap analysis for purchase-approval as-is process