What is as-is and to-be analysis in business transformation?

As-is and to-be analysis is a structured approach to business transformation that compares your current state (as-is or IST) with your desired future state (to-be or SOLL). The as-is analysis documents how your business operates today, including processes, systems, and workflows. The to-be analysis defines your target state after transformation. Together, they create a clear roadmap that identifies gaps between where you are and where you need to be, forming the foundation for successful transformation planning.

What exactly is as-is and to-be analysis?

As-is analysis documents your current business operations, capturing how work actually gets done today. It examines existing processes, systems, organizational structures, data flows, and pain points. To-be analysis defines your desired future state, describing optimized processes and improved capabilities you want to achieve.

These analyses work together as complementary activities in business transformation. The as-is analysis provides an honest baseline of your current reality, whilst the to-be analysis creates a vision for improvement. You can’t build an effective transformation roadmap without understanding both states.

In practice, as-is analysis might examine your current order-to-cash process, documenting every step, system touchpoint, handoff, and delay. The to-be analysis would then design the streamlined version, perhaps reducing steps, automating manual tasks, or integrating disconnected systems. The difference between these two states becomes your transformation requirements.

This paired approach applies across business transformation projects, whether you’re implementing new ERP systems, optimizing supply chains, or redesigning customer service operations. The as-is provides context and justification, whilst the to-be provides direction and goals.

Why do you need both as-is and to-be analysis for transformation projects?

You need both analyses because jumping straight to solutions without understanding current operations creates significant risks. As-is analysis reveals hidden dependencies, workarounds, and legitimate reasons why processes exist in their current form. To-be analysis ensures everyone agrees on the destination before starting the journey.

Skipping as-is analysis means you’ll likely miss important requirements. That workaround your team uses might exist because the standard process doesn’t handle a specific customer type. That manual step might be compensating for a system limitation. Without documenting these realities, your to-be design may repeat existing problems or create new ones.

Conversely, conducting only as-is analysis without defining the to-be state leaves you with documentation but no direction. You’ll understand problems but lack a clear vision for solving them. The gap analysis that bridges these two states becomes your actionable transformation plan.

Together, these analyses help you:

Identify specific inefficiencies and quantify their business impact
Build stakeholder consensus around both problems and solutions
Create realistic project scopes based on actual transformation requirements
Avoid repeating current mistakes in your future state design
Develop accurate timelines and resource estimates for transformation work

This comprehensive approach supports transformation planning by ensuring your project addresses real needs whilst creating achievable improvements aligned with business objectives.

How do you actually conduct an as-is analysis?

Conducting as-is analysis requires a systematic approach that combines multiple research methods to capture the complete picture of your current operations:

Stakeholder interviews form the foundation of your analysis. You talk to people across different roles and departments who actually do the work, asking how processes function in practice rather than in theory. These conversations reveal the real workflows, including unofficial workarounds and pain points that never appear in official documentation.

Process mapping follows interviews, where you document workflows visually. You capture each step, decision point, system interaction, and handoff between people or departments. This creates a shared understanding of how work flows through your organization today.

Data collection examines actual performance metrics. You gather cycle times, error rates, volumes, costs, and other measurable aspects of current operations. This quantifies problems and establishes baselines for measuring future improvements.

Documentation review involves examining existing process guides, system configurations, organizational charts, and operational reports. These materials provide context and often reveal discrepancies between documented procedures and actual practice.

Workflow observation means watching processes happen in real time. You see how people actually work, which tools they use, where delays occur, and how they handle exceptions. This direct observation often uncovers details that don’t surface in interviews.

Common discovery areas during current state assessment include:

Manual data entry between disconnected systems
Approval bottlenecks where work waits unnecessarily
Duplicate data entry or redundant verification steps
Workarounds that bypass standard processes
Information silos where departments can’t access needed data

The main challenge is capturing accurate information without bias. People may describe how processes should work rather than how they actually work. They might hide workarounds they think will make them look bad. Creating a non-judgmental environment where people feel safe sharing reality is essential for accurate as-is documentation.

What’s the difference between as-is analysis and to-be design?

As-is analysis focuses on documentation and understanding, whilst to-be design focuses on innovation and improvement. As-is asks “what exists today?” whilst to-be asks “what should exist tomorrow?” These different objectives require different mindsets and methodologies.

The as-is analysis methodology emphasizes accuracy and completeness. You’re capturing reality without judgment, documenting both efficient processes and problematic ones. The goal is comprehensive understanding, not improvement suggestions. You observe, document, and validate what actually happens.

To-be design methodology emphasizes creativity and optimization. You’re imagining better ways of working, challenging assumptions, and designing improvements. This phase welcomes innovation, questions why things must be done certain ways, and proposes changes aligned with business process optimization goals.

The outputs differ significantly:

As-is analysis produces: Current state documentation including process maps, pain point inventories, performance baselines, and system landscape diagrams
To-be design produces: Future state blueprints including optimized process designs, system requirements, organizational changes, and implementation roadmaps

Gap analysis bridges these two phases by comparing current and future states systematically. It identifies specific changes required, prioritizes transformation activities, and creates detailed requirements for implementation. This analysis translates the difference between as-is and to-be into actionable project work.

The mindset shift between phases matters. During as-is analysis, you suspend judgment and accept current reality. During to-be design, you challenge that reality and imagine improvements. This transition from acceptance to innovation drives effective business transformation.

How we support your as-is and to-be analysis

At Optinus, we deliver comprehensive IST-SOLL analysis services that form the foundation for successful business transformation projects. Our approach combines rigorous methodology with practical expertise to create transformation roadmaps that drive real business outcomes.

Our as-is and to-be analysis services include:

Stakeholder engagement workshops that capture insights from across your organization, ensuring we understand how work actually happens and what improvements matter most to your teams
Detailed process mapping that documents current operations and designs optimized future states, creating visual clarity around transformation requirements
Gap analysis and prioritization that identifies specific changes needed and sequences them based on business value and implementation complexity
Business readiness assessment that evaluates your organization’s capacity for change and identifies support needed for successful transformation
Actionable transformation roadmaps that translate analysis into concrete project plans with clear timelines, resource requirements, and success measures

We work on-site and remotely with multinational companies worldwide, bringing expertise in both greenfield and brownfield implementations. Our team understands that successful transformation requires more than process documentation. It demands understanding your business context, engaging stakeholders effectively, and creating realistic plans that deliver results on time and within budget.

If you’re planning a business transformation and need partners who combine analytical rigour with practical implementation expertise, let’s talk about how we can support your IST-SOLL analysis and transformation planning. Contact us to discuss your specific transformation challenges and how we can help you build a clear path from current state to future success.

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