C17 · PRACTICE GUIDE
Operating Model
Connect the customer promise to people, capacity, routines, information and economics.
The operating model explains how the organization delivers customer value consistently. It includes segmentation, coverage, service boundaries, decision rights, handoffs, capacity and governance. An organization chart is only one part of that system.
Put it into practice
Define the customer promise and the lifecycle responsibilities required to fulfill it.
Choose coverage and delivery patterns by segment. Calculate workload from actual activities, complexity and cadence rather than an unsupported account ratio.
Assign roles, handoffs, shared measures and governance. Test the model with a real customer journey and adjust constraints.
What good evidence looks like
A service and coverage model with capacity assumptions, role boundaries, handoffs and review cadence.
WATCH FOR
A common failure mode
Changing job titles without changing decisions, capacity or cross-functional accountability.
What to measure
Service-promise reliability, customer outcomes and cost to serve by segment.
Practice guidance · Framework v1.0 · Published September 2026. Adapt the method to your business model, customer segment and decision authority.