Middle market companies looking for ways to analyze their businesses now have a new tool to add to their arsenal. Grant Thornton has announced the launch of ASAP, a strategic gap analysis tool designed to help clients identify ways to drive down costs, improve business operation effectiveness, manage risk, and enhance profitability.

"Grant Thornton’s ASAP provides a focus for business discussion and examination of performance," says Brad Gabosch, Grant Thornton’s managing partner of assurance and advisory services. "ASAP will empower organizations to continuously improve their business processes and operations."

The ASAP tool is used to measure a company's strengths, weaknesses and risks across eight business process groups - governance and strategy, financial, operations, information technology, customers, suppliers, human resources, ownership issues.

ASAP was designed to assist both the advisor and the client company in:

• Taking a step back” to get a wider view of the business;
• Providing additional input to the strategic planning process;
• Bringing together a new management team using a common framework for strategic discussions; and
• Working with new clients to better understand their business model and key objectives.

ASAP can be used at any stage in an organization’s annual or business life cycle.

"Whether you are seeking a fresh look," Gabosch says, "or taking a gut check on whether or not your business is aligned with your goals, ASAP can be a valuable tool."