A decision between services
The fictional training provider’s booking and course teams can each improve their own work while leaving the cancellation handover unresolved. A wider organisation view must identify who owns that shared outcome and who can change the responsibilities across both teams.
The Structure aspect of A Simple Architectural Framework (ASAF) covers how the organisation is arranged. Business architecture connects that arrangement to purpose and the capabilities needed. Process develops activities, rules and handovers; Structure develops the organisation and authority behind them, including responsibilities across business areas and shared services.
What to retain
| View | Decision |
|---|---|
| Accountability | Who owns the shared service outcome and unresolved conflicts? |
| Reporting and authority | Which decisions belong to line management, service owners and delegated teams? |
| Shared capability | Who funds and maintains information definitions, security policy and common platforms? |
| Workforce and cover | What skills, capacity and continuity are needed across services and suppliers? |
| Change | How do responsibilities, open work and knowledge move during reorganisation? |
An organisation chart can show reporting while leaving service ownership unclear. Record the relevant decision rights and handovers beside it. A shared platform team might operate identity services, while information owners retain the authority to define permitted data use.
A proposed arrangement
In the proposed arrangement, a business-area owner would resolve disputes over cross-team responsibility. A service owner would oversee cancellation work, with each team acting within its agreed authority. The assignments, staffing and authority remain to be agreed. The management view retains that decision and its relationship to funding and the roadmap.
Review the arrangement after changes in demand, repeated escalations or staff turnover. Examine waiting and coordination effort alongside the quality of decisions and the ability to support the service.
Methodology configuration
Your operating model, organisation chart and responsibility records may hold these views. Map the work and authority they describe. Use Methodology configuration to map terms, records and reviews to your own approach.