Constantly Evolving: Organisational Structure

Organisational design is therefore not a one-off exercise, but a continuous process. By critically reviewing your structure on an ongoing basis, you ensure that your organisation remains agile and future-proof. Moore Business Consulting applies a structured approach to this, and we are pleased to share a number of good practices with you.

Start with the core: mission, vision and strategy

An organisational structure must enable the realisation of your organisation’s mission, vision and strategy. The mission defines the organisation’s reason for being and provides direction for day-to-day activities. The vision outlines where the organisation wants to go in the long term and inspires collaboration. The strategy determines how these goals are achieved through concrete actions and choices. Are these elements clear and widely shared within your organisation? A clear and broadly supported mission, vision and strategy make it easier to design a structure that aligns with them.

Direction through clear organisational design principles

To design an organisation effectively, it is essential to define clear design principles upfront. These are fundamental guidelines or starting points that steer how an organisation is structured and how processes, roles and responsibilities are shaped. In practice, these design principles are applied to every decision related to the organisational chart. If a decision aligns with the principles, it can be implemented. If not, an alternative is devised that better fits the predefined guidelines. In this way, design principles serve as a crucial touchstone for a coherent and well-thought-out organisational structure. A few examples:

• What is our guiding principle: product leadership, operational excellence or customer intimacy? Does the same principle apply across the entire organisation, or does it differ, for example, by business unit?
• What is the optimal number of employees that can be effectively managed by one supervisor (span of control)?
• Which activities do we consider outsourcing? What criteria do we use to decide whether or not to outsource an activity?
• …

Map core activities and critical processes

Before working with principles and defining the macrostructure, it is essential to understand your organisation’s core activities. Which functions and processes are critical to achieving your strategic objectives? By clearly mapping functional domains and key processes, you avoid overlooking important elements or creating overlaps. This step provides a logical framework that supports the structure developed later.

Macrostructure first, organisational chart second

It can be tempting to immediately draw an organisational chart, but this may impose unnecessary constraints. Start by defining the macrostructure and designing the major organisational building blocks. Which core domains are required? Only once this structure is in place should you begin to define specific roles and functions.

Translation into processes, roles and governance

A well-designed organisational chart is only the beginning. What truly matters is translating it into operational processes, clear roles and robust governance.

Operational processes translate strategy into practice. They determine how people, resources and information work together to achieve organisational goals and form the backbone of day-to-day execution. Clear role definitions provide clarity about who does what. Governance goes beyond merely assigning responsibilities. It offers the framework for how decisions are made, which processes are followed and how direction and accountability are organised.

By aligning operational processes, role definitions and governance, the organisational chart becomes a powerful instrument that enables the organisation to excel in practice.

Capacity planning

A well-designed organisational chart that has been translated into processes, governance and role definitions is essential, but a final critical ingredient for success is capacity planning.

Capacity planning ensures that the right resources, skills and people are available to realise the organisation’s objectives. It helps address questions such as: Are there enough people to fill all roles? Is there a balance between workload and capacity? Are the right skills in place in the right roles?

By integrating capacity planning with the organisational chart, the organisation is optimised not only in theory, but also in practice.

With a well-designed organisational structure, your company remains agile and ready for future challenges. Would you like to know how your organisation can continue to develop? Contact us to discover how we can support your organisation.