Initial steps include the consideration of organizational goals and the means by which the goals will be fulfilled. After management commitment, resources, and employee participation have been secured, the organization's existing business systems must be characterized. That is, all organizations have some existing systems in place that affect the organization's outputs and performance variables.
All organizations have some level of performance measurement system or set of practices in place.
These systems may not be well defined and will need to be characterized before proceeding with the following steps. With the organization's existing business systems characterized, it is then necessary to characterize the existing OHS programs and systems. Again, organizations find that many system components are in place based on efforts to maintain regulatory compliance. If there are country specific, or trade-block specific considerations, than other approaches are available. The gap analysis provides the organization with necessary information to meet the stated goals of the system to be implemented.