Best Practice Report

Structure: The Patterns Of IT Operating Units

Use Clear, Consistent Terminology When Designing Operating Model Structures

November 30th, 2023
Sam Higgins, Principal Analyst
Sam Higgins Principal Analyst
With contributors:
Matthew Guarini , Fiona Mark , Gordon Barnett , Janis Teo , Bill Nagel

Summary

Technology executives delivering high performance continuously reassess their IT operating model, aligning it to deliver business outcomes. This iterative process creates a diverse set of operating unit structures to consider, each supporting the unique context of the business and its stakeholders. This means developing a detailed understanding of which structural patterns best fit the organization’s overall operating model design and current maturity level. But firms often confuse the language and differences between structures, such as shared services, centers of excellence, and product teams, leading to misalignment. This report defines the most used operating unit patterns and their attributes and guides tech execs on when to use them to improve operating model structure design decisions.

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