Response to LinkedIn question - Does somebody have the new best practices for IT organizational design?

http://www.linkedin.com/answers/management/organizational-development/MGM_ODV/109785-611175

Yesterday I saw a movie where the conclusion was : "the best recipes are the ones that you invent yourself".

I guess a lot of theory like ITSM or ITIL will help you to shape your organization. Today the most critical question for an IT organization is "what do I want to keep internal and what do I want to outsource ?"

To answer that question, there is no standard recipe. You'll need to align your IT Plan to your Business Plan. The strategic pieces have to be remain under control.

If I were an IT manager I would build a Diamond Structure. I would focus my IT on 3 layers : 1/4 management (Project managers, Support managers...), 1/2 Architects and Analysts (the gatekeepers of your IT) and 1/4 some developers. The developers allowing to control the work that is produced by sub-contractors. (They would not be the rowers of the rowing boat race story ;-)) It would be a diamond because it's a hierarchical pyramid without a bottom base.

This structure is very agile because you can source the bottom of the pyramid while keeping your managers and architects (they are not bound to a specific technology). Only the developers need to be recycled. I have seen that organization is new entrants companies in Telco (not the incumbants).

I see you are a SAP manager so I guess you don't want big changes in your architecture. SAP should cover as much as possible of your IT... But even than, you're maybe not obliged to have the army of Netweaver or ABAP guys. It depends on what's around your SAP and how does SAP will support your business in the future...

IT Work