The operating model decision you're avoiding is the one that matters most
Your technology strategy is probably sound. The structure underneath it probably isn’t.
This whitepaper examines the two dominant governance designs for IT — the Technical Operating Model (TOM) and the Product Operating Model (POM) — and why the choice between them determines whether AI investments, cloud migrations, and continuous delivery programmes produce enterprise returns or accelerate waste. Drawing on research from McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, DORA, and Scrum.org, it identifies the two expired assumptions that made the TOM a rational design for a previous era, explains the most common failure mode in product model transitions, and presents three diagnostic tests any senior technology leader can apply to assess whether their accountability structure matches the pace of change their portfolio now demands.
