Digital transformation only succeeds when the operating model is able to coordinate different elements of an organisation together effectively to achieve it's purpose.
Too often, organisations are quick to invest in new platforms, revamp customer journeys, or introduce new data tools - without taking a hard look in the mirror first to see if there are foundational changes that need to be made to the way they're working.
Imagine deciding to “get fit” by buying expensive trainers, signing up to a premium gym, and ordering a cupboard full of supplements in the hope the gear does the work. Without nailing the basics first, the shiny new kit just makes the gaps more obvious. Real progress comes from fixing the fundamentals.
At Mando Group, we see a high-performing Digital Operating Model (DOM) as those fundamentals - the foundation that allows the other components to function effectively and drive success. So in this article, I'm outlining the anatomy of an effective DOM, highlighting the structures, workflows, and practices that enable performance, agility, and ongoing improvement.
1. Rewiring the brain: Strategy & Governance
Why it matters: A clear strategy gives the organisation a shared sense of direction. Pragmatic governance acts like healthy judgement and self-control - keeping you on course without slowing your ability to move.
What it looks like:
- A clear vision or digital “line of sight” aligned to business goals.
- Executive sponsorship and a senior digital leadership group acting as the decision centre.
- Decision pathways that are fast, transparent, and data-informed.
- Cross-functional representation so priorities connect end-to-end, with risks spotted early.
Best practice: Embed OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to create focus - so energy goes to the outcomes that matter, not the loudest distractions.
2. Strengthening the core: Team Structure
Why it matters: A strong core stabilises the whole body - reducing strain, improving coordination, and creating clear ownership so teams can move with confidence.
What it looks like:
- Cross-functional teams combining product, engineering, design, data/analytics, and marketing.
- Pods or matrix structures aligned to products, journeys, or business capabilities.
- Clear roles and hybrid skills that connect your strategy to practical delivery.
- Flexible resourcing (in-house + partners) that can scale without losing continuity.
Best practice: Build around capabilities (how the body moves), not departments (where people sit).
3. Tuning the nervous system: Workflows
Why it matters: A well-tuned nervous system reduces noise and duplication, increases responsiveness, and improves quality - so the organisation can sense, decide, and act reliably.
What it looks like:
- Agile rhythms (sprints, stand-ups, retrospectives) that create regular signals and feedback.
- Joined-up tooling: from planning to design systems to release.
- CI/CD pipelines that turn delivery into safe, repeatable reflexes.
- Clear prioritisation so only relevant signals trigger work, and the rest don’t overwhelm the system.
Best practice: Balance speed with discipline - autonomy with alignment - so teams can move fast without losing coordination.
4. Heightening the senses: Customer Experience
Why it matters: Strong senses keep you oriented in the real world. The best digital operating models continuously listen, learn, and respond to experiences.
What it looks like:
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Tight feedback loops bring insights to inform the product backlog.
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Personalisation and content operations are part of day-to-day delivery.
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Internal capabilities are aligned to external expectations, rather than the other way around.
Best practice: Treat CX as a continuous sensing-and-adapting loop, powered by data and embedded into every team.
5. Improving circulation: Technology & Data
Why it matters: Healthy circulation keeps everything supplied and responsive. Your technology and data should be set up to help things flow smoothly and power change - rather than creating restrictions that slow the body down.
What it looks like:
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Composable architectures (APIs, microservices) that keep work moving and reusable.
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Cloud-native foundations for scalability and resilience.
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A unified data layer with strong governance, privacy, and access controls.
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Automation-first delivery for repetitive tasks, testing, and operational reliability.
Best practice: Adopt platform thinking - shared foundations that make every product team faster, safer, and more interoperable.
6. Building immunity and flexibility: Culture & Capability
Why it matters: Without the ability to deal with new challenges being thrown at it, organisations becomes fragile. Culture and capability determine how well you handle change, pressure, and learning over time.
What to look for:
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A growth mindset and digital-first behaviours across roles.
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Continuous learning, skills matrices, and purposeful upskilling.
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Clear progression across digital disciplines.
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A culture of experimentation supported by data, rapid prototyping, and learning loops.
Best practice: Treat change like a constant environment - that fosters resilience and a learning mindset, not a one-off “transformation project” approach that creates an illusion that this process should end.
Putting it all together: A healthier organisation
A high-performing Digital Operating Model connects:
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Direction and judgement (strategy & governance)
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Strength and ownership (teams and structure)
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Signals and cadence (workflows)
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Real-world feedback (customer experience)
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Flow and scalability (technology & data)
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Resilience and learning (culture & capability)
At Mando Group, we help enterprise leaders move from diagnosis to design - creating operating models that fit your context, scale with complexity, and help transformation stick.
Ready to build your next DOM?
Whether you’re starting from scratch or optimising an existing model, we offer actionable diagnostics, co-creation workshops, and transformation roadmaps aligned to your maturity and ambition.
→ Let’s talk about what high performance could look like for you.
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