🏢 Stage 5 — Delivery Model & Operating Model Design
🎯 What the Stage Is For
To answer:
“How will this actually be delivered and operated?”
👥 Who Is Involved
Customer Side
| Role | Involvement |
|---|---|
| IT Leadership | Provides expectations and constraints |
| Procurement | Defines commercial and contractual boundaries |
Service Provider Side
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Delivery Leaders | Define execution approach |
| Program Managers | Structure program governance and delivery |
| Operations Leads | Define run and support model |
| HR / Staffing Teams | Plan resource allocation and skills |
🛠 What Gets Produced
| Output | Description |
|---|---|
| Delivery Model | Overall execution approach |
| Onshore / Offshore Structure | Location-based delivery setup |
| Team Structure | Roles, responsibilities, and organization |
| Governance Model | Decision-making and control structure |
| Meetings & Reporting | Communication and tracking mechanisms |
| Transition Plan | How the client moves from current to target model |
⚠️ What Can Go Wrong
| Risk | Impact |
|---|---|
| Unrealistic staffing model | Delivery inefficiencies and delays |
| Weak governance | Chaos after deal closure |
| Ignoring client culture and geography | Misalignment and operational friction |
⚠️ Common Pitfalls in Delivery Model & Operating Model Design
This stage defines how the solution will actually be executed and sustained.
Mistakes here don’t just affect planning—they directly impact:
- Delivery quality
- Client satisfaction
- Long-term relationship
❌ 1. Unrealistic Staffing Model
🧠 What it means
Designing a team structure that:
- Looks good on paper
- But does not reflect actual workload, complexity, or skill requirements
🏢 Example (ACME Scenario)
Situation:
- 10,000+ Virtual Machines
- Complex workloads (SAP, ERP)
- Global operations
Unrealistic Staffing:
- Very small team to reduce cost
- Limited specialized roles (e.g., no SAP experts)
- Over-reliance on junior engineers
Reality:
- Migration complexity is high
- Requires specialized skills
- Needs 24/7 operational coverage
⚠️ Impact
- Delivery inefficiencies
- Delays in execution
- Overworked teams → burnout
- Poor quality outcomes
✅ Best Practice
- Align staffing with:
- Scope complexity
- Skill requirements
- Timeline expectations
- Include:
- Specialized roles (e.g., SAP experts)
- Adequate coverage (global/time zones)
Think:
“Can this team realistically deliver what we are promising?”
❌ 2. Weak Governance
🧠 What it means
Lack of:
- Clear decision-making structure
- Defined reporting mechanisms
- Regular review processes
🏢 Example (ACME Scenario)
Weak Governance Setup:
- No structured review meetings
- No escalation path
- No clear ownership for decisions
Reality:
- Multiple teams involved
- Complex dependencies
- Continuous changes
⚠️ Impact
- Chaos after deal closure
- Delayed decision-making
- Miscommunication between teams
- Increased risk of project failure
✅ Best Practice
Define clearly:
- Governance structure:
- Steering committee (leadership oversight)
- Program review meetings
- Operational reviews
- Escalation paths:
- Who decides what
- How issues are resolved
Think:
“How will decisions be made when things go wrong?”
❌ 3. Ignoring Client Culture and Geography
🧠 What it means
Designing delivery without considering:
- How the client operates culturally
- Where teams are located geographically
🏢 Example (ACME Scenario)
Situation:
- European enterprise
- Strong compliance culture
- Possibly conservative decision-making
Mistake:
- Fully offshore delivery model
- Minimal on-site presence
- Ignoring time zone alignment
Reality:
- Client expects:
- Local engagement
- Strong communication
- Cultural alignment
⚠️ Impact
- Misalignment in expectations
- Communication gaps
- Operational friction
- Reduced trust
✅ Best Practice
- Balance:
- Onshore (client-facing, strategic roles)
- Offshore (execution, cost efficiency)
- Consider:
- Time zones
- Language
- Cultural expectations
Think:
“Will the client feel supported and understood?”
🎯 Key Takeaway
| Mistake | Real Impact |
|---|---|
| Unrealistic staffing model | Delivery inefficiencies and delays |
| Weak governance | Chaos after deal closure |
| Ignoring client culture and geography | Misalignment and operational friction |
🧠 Architect / Leader Insight
A strong solution is not enough.
It must be backed by a delivery model that is realistic, structured, and aligned with the client environment.
🚀 Final Thought
Successful delivery models balance:
- Capability
- Cost
- Communication
- Control
👉 This balance is what turns a winning proposal into a successful engagement
| ⬅ Back to Series Home | Next: Stage 6 ➡ |