Operating Model - UK
Operating Model Redesign.
Most organisations that struggle to execute their strategy do not have a strategy problem. They have an operating model problem. The structure, accountabilities, processes, and capabilities that exist were built for a different purpose - and they constrain performance regardless of how clearly the strategic direction is communicated. Intology designs and implements operating models that work.
We have redesigned operating models for organisations ranging from private equity portfolio companies to FTSE-listed businesses and NHS trusts - across sectors including financial services, manufacturing, professional services, and the public sector. Our approach is grounded in operational reality, not consulting frameworks.
Why the operating model determines whether strategy delivers
The operating model is the architecture of the organisation - the way structure, accountabilities, processes, technology, and capabilities are configured to deliver results. When the operating model is aligned with the strategy, execution is relatively straightforward. When it is not aligned, even the best strategy encounters constant friction.
Most operating models drift. They are built for one context and then adapted incrementally as the organisation grows, acquires, reorganises, and responds to new demands. The adaptations accumulate into a model that no one designed and that no longer reflects how the organisation needs to operate. The result is visible in cost structures, decision speed, accountability gaps, and technology underperformance.
A redesign addresses the architecture, not just the symptoms. Done well, it produces lasting improvement in operational performance, cost efficiency, and the organisation's capacity to execute its strategy.
Signs your operating model needs attention
These are the conditions that typically indicate an operating model misalignment - the visible symptoms of a structural problem that incremental fixes cannot resolve.
Cost structures that have drifted over time
The organisation has grown organically or through acquisition, and cost has accumulated in places that no longer reflect strategic priorities - with duplication, unclear ownership, and layers that add process without adding value.
Accountability that is unclear in practice
On paper, accountability is clear. In practice, decisions are slow, escalation paths are complex, and the same issues surface repeatedly because no single function has the authority, data, and incentive to resolve them.
Technology investment not delivering
The organisation has invested significantly in ERP, CRM, or workflow technology - but adoption is partial, workarounds are widespread, and the expected productivity and cost benefits have not materialised.
Strategy that the operating model cannot execute
The strategic direction is clear at board level but progress is slow below it. The structure, processes, and capabilities that exist were built for a different strategy and are not aligned to where the organisation needs to go.
Post-acquisition integration stalling
An acquisition or merger has been completed, but the integration is taking longer and costing more than planned. Two operating models that were meant to combine are running in parallel, creating duplication and friction.
Talent in the wrong places
Senior people are spending significant time on operational issues that should be managed below them. The organisation is over-resourced in some areas and under-resourced in others - but restructuring feels too disruptive to tackle.
Shared services or centres of excellence not delivering
Functions were centralised or consolidated with a clear value case - but the promised efficiency has not arrived, and business units have rebuilt shadow functions to compensate for what the centre is not providing.
Continuous reorganisation without lasting change
The organisation has restructured multiple times in recent years, but the underlying problems - slow decisions, unclear accountability, misaligned incentives - persist. Each reorganisation addresses symptoms without resolving the structural cause.
What the work covers
Operating model redesign spans the full architecture of the organisation. Our work covers all of the dimensions that need to change coherently for the redesign to hold.
Operating Model Assessment
A structured diagnostic of the current operating model - covering organisational structure, decision rights, process flows, technology alignment, cost allocation, and the gap between the model that exists and the performance the business needs. We identify what is working, what is not, and why.
Target Operating Model Design
Design of the target operating model that will deliver the organisation's strategic objectives - covering the structural choices, the accountability framework, the process architecture, the technology dependencies, and the capability requirements. We produce designs that are commercially grounded and operationally deliverable, not theoretical frameworks.
Organisational Design
Detailed organisational design within the target model - defining spans of control, management layers, role accountabilities, decision rights, and the reporting structures that will make the model function in practice. We work through the consequences of structural choices before they are implemented.
Process and Technology Alignment
Assessment and redesign of the processes and technology configuration that need to change to support the new operating model - ensuring that the technology estate enables rather than constrains the target design, and that process changes are sequenced in a way that minimises disruption.
Transition Planning and Programme Management
Design of the transition from the current to the target operating model - covering sequencing, dependencies, risk management, and the governance of the change programme itself. Organisations often underestimate the complexity of moving between operating models while maintaining operational performance.
Stakeholder and Change Management
Operating model redesign always involves people - and the human dimension is typically where implementation fails. We design and deliver the stakeholder engagement, leadership communications, and change management that ensures the new model is understood, accepted, and adopted across the organisation.
Our approach
Operating model redesign must be grounded in a clear diagnosis before any design work begins. Our approach sequences the work to build from a factual baseline and deliver a model that can be implemented, not just presented.
Phase 1
Diagnose
A rapid but structured assessment of the current operating model - what it is, how it performs, where the gaps are, and what the organisation's strategic requirements demand. This produces a shared factual baseline that the redesign work builds from.
Phase 2
Design
Development of the target operating model - working through the structural choices, accountability framework, process architecture, and technology dependencies to produce a design that is coherent, deliverable, and commercially grounded. The design is tested against the organisation's specific context before it is finalised.
Phase 3
Transition
Structured transition from the current to the target model - sequencing the changes to minimise disruption, managing the dependencies between structural, process, and technology changes, and maintaining operational performance throughout the transition period.
Phase 4
Embed
Embedding the new model in how the organisation actually operates - adjusting management processes, performance frameworks, and incentive structures to reinforce the target design. A new operating model that is not embedded in these systems will revert to the old patterns within twelve months.
Why Intology for operating model redesign?
Operating model redesign is one of the most consequential interventions an organisation can make - and one of the most frequently mishandled. The most common failure mode is a design that is theoretically sound but operationally undeliverable: it works on paper but does not account for the political, cultural, and practical realities of the organisation it needs to work in.
Intology has redesigned operating models across more than 100 major engagements, in organisations ranging from private equity-backed businesses to NHS trusts and FTSE-listed groups. The practitioners who design your operating model are the same practitioners who help you implement it - not a senior team that hands off to a junior delivery team once the design is agreed.
We are independent of technology vendors, which means our operating model recommendations are not shaped by commercial relationships with ERP or workflow platform providers. The design is shaped by what your organisation needs, not what we happen to sell.
12+
Years
50+
Clients
100+
Projects
25%
Peak cost reduction
Client perspectives
What our clients say
“Intology's embedded approach meant our transformation actually landed. They didn't hand us a deck and leave - they were inside the programme with us for eight months, and when they stepped away our team was genuinely more capable.”
Director of Transformation
FTSE 100 Retailer
Business Transformation“We had a failing ERP programme and investor scrutiny arriving at the same time. Intology stabilised the position inside 30 days and gave us a recovery plan we could defend at board level. Independent advice with no agenda - exactly what we needed.”
Chief Operating Officer
PE-backed Manufacturer
Programme Recovery“The assurance review gave the audit committee something it hadn't had before - a view from someone with no stake in the outcome. The findings were uncomfortable in places, but exactly right. That independence is what makes the opinion worth having.”
Programme Sponsor
UK Public Sector
Programme AssuranceCommon questions
What is a target operating model and why does it matter?
A target operating model is the blueprint for how an organisation will operate to deliver its strategy - covering structure, accountabilities, processes, technology, and capabilities. It matters because strategy and operating model must be aligned: the best strategy cannot be executed by an operating model that was designed for a different purpose. Most organisations that struggle to execute their strategy have a misaligned operating model, not a deficient strategy.
How long does operating model redesign take?
The diagnostic and target model design phase typically takes six to ten weeks for organisations of moderate complexity. The transition and implementation phase depends on the scale of change required - a focused functional redesign might take three to six months; a full enterprise operating model transition typically takes twelve to twenty-four months. We sequence work to deliver early value while building towards the full target model.
How is this different from a standard reorganisation?
A reorganisation changes structure. An operating model redesign addresses structure, but also the processes, accountabilities, technology alignment, and capability requirements that determine whether the new structure actually performs differently. Organisations that have been through multiple reorganisations without lasting improvement have typically redesigned the boxes on the chart without addressing the underlying operating model constraints.
Can you help with a post-acquisition integration as part of this?
Yes - post-acquisition operating model integration is one of the most common contexts for this work. Combining two operating models requires explicit design choices about which elements of each model to retain, which to replace, and how to sequence the integration. We bring both the operating model design expertise and the programme management capability to run the integration effectively.
What makes Intology's approach different from a large consulting firm?
Large consulting firms typically bring large teams, proprietary frameworks, and high day-rates - with much of the work delivered by junior analysts working from templates. Intology brings senior practitioners who have designed and implemented operating models in complex organisations, and who are present throughout the engagement rather than at the beginning and the end. Our recommendations are grounded in operational reality, not benchmark data from other organisations.
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Learn moreReady to redesign how your organisation operates?
Start with an honest conversation about what is constraining your organisation's performance and what a redesign would address.