Structure types and cloud functions
The next step is to define the type of organizational structure that best fits your operating model.
Organizational structures don't necessarily have to map to an organizational chart. Organizational charts generally reflect command and control management structures. Organizational structures capture the alignment of roles and responsibilities.
In an agile, matrixed organization, organizational structures might be best represented as virtual teams. There's no rule that says these structures can't be represented in an organizational chart. However, it's not necessary to produce an effective operating model.
Here's a summary of the choices:
- Organizational chart alignment: Management hierarchies, manager responsibilities, and staffing align to organizational structures.
- Virtual teams: Management structures and organizational charts remain unchanged. Instead, virtual teams are created and tasked with the required functions.
- Mixed model: Organizations commonly need a mixture of organizational chart and virtual team alignment to deliver on transformation goals.
Cloud functions
An organization needs the following functions to succeed at cloud adoption and longer-term operating models. After you're familiar with these functions, you can align them to organizational structures based on staffing and maturity.
- Cloud strategy: A cloud strategy team defines motivations and business outcomes. That team then validates and maintains alignment between business priorities and cloud adoption efforts.
- Cloud adoption: Cloud adoption functions enable the implementation of technical solutions in the cloud. Cloud adoption teams are the modern-day equivalent of technical implementation teams or project teams.
- Cloud governance: The cloud governance team ensures that risks and risk tolerance are properly evaluated and managed. The people on this team convert risks into governing corporate policies.
- Central IT team: The central IT team uses existing IT practices to ensure that adoption efforts result in well-governed, well-managed environments in the cloud.
- Cloud operations: An operations team focuses on monitoring, repairing, and remediation of issues related to traditional IT operations and assets.
- Cloud center of excellence: In a CCoE, IT serves as a broker, partner, or representative to the business. This model is a paradigm shift away from the traditional view of IT as an operations unit or abstraction layer between the business and IT assets.
- Cloud platform: Usually, a select group of architects focuses on learning about the cloud platform. These architects then help others make decisions and apply controls to cloud environments.
- Cloud automation: Unlock the potential of DevOps and a cloud-native approach through automation. Expertise in each of these areas can accelerate adoption and innovation.
- Cloud data: Multiple audiences are involved in managing data and enabling analytics solutions. They include the typical seller, database architect, and infrastructure team.
- Cloud security: Cloud security comprises the organizational functions that an enterprise requires to manage information security risk. These roles and responsibilities form the human portion of a cybersecurity system.
To some degree, every cloud adoption effort delivers each of these functions. The delivery is either explicit or follows a defined team structure.
As adoption needs grow, so does the need to create balance and structure. To meet those needs, companies often follow a process of maturing organizational structures. The next unit provides more details about each level of maturity.