In today’s fast-changing business landscape, companies face intense pressure to deliver value efficiently, scale effectively, and respond quickly to market dynamics. A strong operating model—the way a business organizes its people, processes, technology, and governance to deliver value—is central to achieving these objectives. However, designing a robust operating model is far from simple. Many organizations struggle to align strategy with execution, leading to inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and a lack of clarity across teams. This is where advisory firms play a critical role, helping businesses create operating models that are not only effective but also sustainable.

Understanding the Operating Model

Before diving into the role of advisory, it’s important to understand what an operating model entails. At its core, an operating model defines how a company operates to deliver its strategic goals. It encompasses four main elements:

1. Processes: How work gets done across the organization.
2. People: Roles, responsibilities, and skills required.
3. Technology: Tools and systems that enable operations.
4. Governance: Decision-making structures, reporting lines, and accountability.

While strategy sets the destination, the operating model is the vehicle that drives the company toward that destination. An efficient operating model ensures that every component of the organization works harmoniously, enabling faster decision-making, higher productivity, and better customer outcomes.

The Challenges in Designing Operating Models

Designing an operating model is complex because it requires balancing multiple priorities. Organizations must align strategy with capability, anticipate future market needs, integrate technology, and optimize cost structures. Common challenges include:

• Fragmented Processes: Departments often operate in silos, resulting in duplication of effort and inconsistent outcomes.
• Skill Gaps: Organizations may lack the expertise needed to execute certain processes effectively.
• Technology Misalignment: Tools and systems may not fully support business requirements, slowing operations and creating inefficiencies.
• Complex Governance: Decision-making structures can become cumbersome, leading to delayed or ineffective actions.

Without expert guidance, businesses may create models that look good on paper but fail to deliver in practice.

How Advisory Supports Operating Model Design

Advisory firms bring external expertise and objective insights to help organizations design operating models that work in real-world conditions. Their role can be broken down into several key contributions.

Strategic Alignment

A major role of advisory is ensuring that the operating model aligns with the organization’s overall strategy. Advisory experts analyze the business’s strategic objectives and design an operating framework that enables those goals. This involves identifying the critical capabilities required, determining the optimal structure, and prioritizing initiatives that will have the highest impact on performance.

Process Optimization

Advisory firms help streamline and standardize processes across the organization. They map out workflows, identify bottlenecks, and recommend improvements to enhance efficiency. By leveraging proven methodologies and best practices, advisory support ensures that processes are not only effective but also adaptable to changing market conditions.

Organizational Design

People are at the heart of any operating model. Advisory services support organizations in defining clear roles and responsibilities, ensuring the right skills are in place, and establishing accountability mechanisms. They can also help with workforce planning, talent development, and change management to ensure employees are equipped to thrive in the new model.

Technology Enablement

Technology is a key enabler of modern operating models. Advisory firms assess existing systems, recommend the right tools, and help integrate technology seamlessly into workflows. This ensures that technology investments support operational goals rather than becoming a source of inefficiency.

Governance and Decision-Making

Advisory services assist in designing governance structures that promote transparency, agility, and accountability. By defining decision rights, reporting lines, and performance metrics, organizations can make faster, more informed decisions and maintain control over complex operations.

Benefits of Leveraging Advisory Expertise

Working with advisory firms to design an operating model provides several advantages:

• Reduced Risk: Expert advisors bring experience from multiple industries and regions, helping organizations avoid common pitfalls.
• Faster Implementation: Advisory support accelerates the transition from strategy to execution by providing structured approaches and clear roadmaps.
• Improved Efficiency: Streamlined processes, aligned roles, and optimized technology lead to higher productivity and lower operational costs.
• Scalability: A well-designed operating model can scale with the business, supporting growth without compromising performance.
• Sustainable Change: Advisory firms not only design the model but also support change management, ensuring the organization can sustain improvements over time.

Real-World Application

Consider a multinational company planning to expand into a new market. The business may have a clear strategy, but without a tailored operating model, it could face inefficiencies, compliance issues, and delayed decision-making. An advisory firm can assess local requirements, design a structure that supports both global standards and local needs, and implement processes that ensure smooth operations. By doing so, the company gains a strong foundation for growth while minimizing operational risks.

Similarly, in industries such as energy, technology, or healthcare, where regulatory and operational complexity is high, advisory support becomes even more critical. Experts can translate complex requirements into practical operating models, ensuring compliance while maintaining efficiency and competitiveness.

Choosing the Right Advisory Partner

Not all advisory firms offer the same level of value. Partner-led advisory firms, in particular, bring a unique advantage. In these firms, senior advisors are directly involved in client projects, providing hands-on expertise and strategic insights. This ensures that decisions are informed by deep experience rather than theoretical frameworks alone.

Massoni Advisory, for instance, exemplifies this approach. They combine a deep understanding of local regulations and market dynamics with strategic insight, helping companies establish and scale operations effectively. Partner-led guidance ensures that each element of the operating model—processes, people, technology, and governance—is designed to achieve real-world outcomes.

Keys to a Successful Operating Model

A winning operating model has several defining characteristics:

1. Clear Alignment: Every function and process supports the overall strategy.
2. Flexibility: The model can adapt to market changes and business growth.
3. Efficiency: Processes are streamlined, resources are optimized, and technology is leveraged effectively.
4. Accountability: Roles, responsibilities, and governance structures are clearly defined.
5. Sustainability: Changes are embedded into the organization, ensuring long-term success.

Advisory support is instrumental in achieving these qualities, guiding organizations through the design, implementation, and optimization phases.

Conclusion

Designing an effective operating model is a complex but critical task for any organization seeking sustainable success. Without the right approach, even the best strategies can falter due to misaligned processes, unclear roles, or inefficient technology. Advisory firms play a vital role in bridging this gap, offering expertise in strategy, process optimization, organizational design, technology integration, and governance. By working with an experienced partner-led advisory firm like Massoni Advisory, companies can build operating models that not only deliver on strategy but also create a foundation for growth, resilience, and long-term success.

With advisory guidance, businesses can transform complexity into clarity, ensuring that every part of the organization works in harmony to achieve strategic goals and outperform in competitive markets. A well-designed operating model is more than a framework—it’s a roadmap for operational excellence, and the right advisory support ensures that journey is successful from start to finish.