Act as Business Architect in supporting organizations in their business transformations by designing and documenting operating models. There are some simple steps that can convert your business process model into an operating model.

1. How To Design an Operating
Model
Tip for Business Analysts

2. Step 1: Define the scope of the
operating model
This approach is exactly the same as that
needed for defining the scope of any project in
business analysis

3. Step 2: Bear in mind the following
(simple) description of an operating
model
‘’The operating model is required to answer
who/what/when/where/ how are operations
performed’’

4. The aforementioned definition indicates that an
operating model should include relevant
operations, inputs, outputs, resources, and
controls (rules, instructions etc)
Step 2: Cont.

5. Learning about operating models, I was
overwhelmed with hundreds of articles
explaining differences between business and
operating model design and strategy. But, I
have noticed that every presented operating
model was based on who/what/when/where/
how elements, thus realizing that the identical
structure was used for building both business
and operating models.
Step 2: Cont.

6. Therefore, turn your business process model
into an operating model by adding the
following:
• Controls – you can present them as inputs to
the processes
• Resources (not just roles) needed for the
processes to be conducted
Step 2: Cont.

7. Step 3: Present the operating model
graphically with a type of diagram that
will include all of the elements
mentioned in Step 2.

8. The major issue for me was that I could not find standard
diagrams intended for designing operating models as
they seemed to miss. On the other hand, I could not
interpret any of the examples of operating models that
I had an opportunity to see, and I needed ‘my’
operating model to be understood by both IT and non-
IT audience. Therefore, I decided to use one of business
model diagrams to create the operating model, and it
worked fantastic.
My choice was/is IDEF0 diagram, but any other type of
diagram for business process modelling will do equally
well.
Step 3: Cont.