What your operating model says about your AI readiness.
How fit is your current operating model for a future where intelligent agents handle core processes? In this edition, we explore what needs to change in the way your teams are structured, governed, and incentivised to realise the full benefits of AI-powered Process Automation (APA).
As organisations embrace APA, one of the most overlooked barriers to success isn’t the technology, it’s the operating model.
APA introduces autonomous digital agents into your business processes - intelligent tools that can take decisions, initiate actions, and collaborate across departments. But legacy operating models weren’t built with this in mind. That’s why APA readiness depends as much on how you’re organised as on what you’re automating.
1. From Functions to Flow
Traditional models emphasise functional silos and command hierarchies. APA thrives in environments optimised for end-to-end flow, where cross-functional teams are empowered to continuously improve processes with automation woven into every stage.
Are your teams set up to think in journeys, not departments?
2. Governance That Empowers (Not Delays)
Old-school governance treats automation as a one-off IT initiative. In the APA era, governance needs to enable experimentation while maintaining guardrails. This means defining:
Who can commission or train agents
How decision authority is delegated
How risk is monitored in autonomous environments
The winners will be those who can balance control and agility.
3. Incentives for Agent-Augmented Work
If performance metrics are tied solely to human effort, you risk resistance to automation. APA-ready organisations rethink KPIs to reward outcomes, collaboration, and agent stewardship, not just activity.
Are your incentives aligned with a future where human-agent teams are the norm?
Key Takeaway
If you’re serious about APA, your operating model can’t be left behind. It must evolve to support a digital workforce that never sleeps, learns fast, and integrates across business silos. Now is the time to design an operating model that unlocks—not limits—the potential of intelligent automation.