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Practice area 9

Out of 9

Transforming organisational
structures and systems

Transforming organisational structures and systems reorganises internal capabilities by establishing centralised governance and dedicated journey roles to drive end-to-end accountability across delivery teams. This practice area involves adapting the operating model, linking KPIs, incentives, and planning rhythms directly to journey performance rather than functional silos. It also encompasses intentional investments and upgrades to enterprise systems, providing the technical foundation required to scale journey practices sustainably and overcome information silos.

What activities, methods and tools make up this practice?

Survey respondents first rated the relevance of each practice (0–5, from ‘not relevant at all’ to ‘very relevant’). For practices scoring 3 or higher, respondents scored their organisation’s effectiveness in applying them (0–5, from ‘not effective at all’ to ‘very effective’). The chart above shows both the range and average scores for relevance and effectiveness across each practice.

Avg relevance 2.01–3.98 · Avg effectiveness 2.67–3.72
12345
Embedding journeys into team and delivery structures
Aligning accountability, KPIs and incentives
Centrally-led journey team or function
Adapting planning and operating rhythms
Journey-specific roles and capabilities
Evolving the operating model and enabling infrastructure
System and infrastructure investment
RelevanceEffectivenessAverage

Insight

The need for a centrally led journey management function increases by practice stage

The relevance of a centrally led journey management function is the only practice that consistently increases across practice stages. Organisations at the emerging practice stage rated it an average of 2.99 out of 5 (placing it between "rarely" and "moderately applicable"), while established practices scored 3.89 (between "moderately" and "very applicable"). Advanced practices averaged 3.91, scoring just above established practices.

Insight

The need for a centrally led journey management function increases by practice stage

The relevance of a centrally led journey management function is the only practice that consistently increases across practice stages. Organisations at the emerging practice stage rated it an average of 2.99 out of 5 (placing it between "rarely" and "moderately applicable"), while established practices scored 3.89 (between "moderately" and "very applicable"). Advanced practices averaged 3.91, scoring just above established practices.

Insight

The need for a centrally led journey management function increases by practice stage

The relevance of a centrally led journey management function is the only practice that consistently increases across practice stages. Organisations at the emerging practice stage rated it an average of 2.99 out of 5 (placing it between "rarely" and "moderately applicable"), while established practices scored 3.89 (between "moderately" and "very applicable"). Advanced practices averaged 3.91, scoring just above established practices.

Insight

Effectiveness in influencing roles, KPIs and embedding journeys into team and delivery structures increases by practice stage

The perceived effectiveness of aligning accountability, KPIs, and incentives shows the largest gain, rising +1.98 points from 2.40 out of 5 for emerging practices to 4.38 out of 5 for advanced practices. Establishing journey-specific roles and capabilities follows closely with a +1.90 increase, shifting from 2.50 to 4.40 out of 5. Similarly, embedding journeys into team and delivery structures increases by +1.63, climbing from 2.77 among emerging practices to 4.40 for advanced practices.

Insight

Effectiveness in influencing roles, KPIs and embedding journeys into team and delivery structures increases by practice stage

The perceived effectiveness of aligning accountability, KPIs, and incentives shows the largest gain, rising +1.98 points from 2.40 out of 5 for emerging practices to 4.38 out of 5 for advanced practices. Establishing journey-specific roles and capabilities follows closely with a +1.90 increase, shifting from 2.50 to 4.40 out of 5. Similarly, embedding journeys into team and delivery structures increases by +1.63, climbing from 2.77 among emerging practices to 4.40 for advanced practices.

Insight

Effectiveness in influencing roles, KPIs and embedding journeys into team and delivery structures increases by practice stage

The perceived effectiveness of aligning accountability, KPIs, and incentives shows the largest gain, rising +1.98 points from 2.40 out of 5 for emerging practices to 4.38 out of 5 for advanced practices. Establishing journey-specific roles and capabilities follows closely with a +1.90 increase, shifting from 2.50 to 4.40 out of 5. Similarly, embedding journeys into team and delivery structures increases by +1.63, climbing from 2.77 among emerging practices to 4.40 for advanced practices.

Insight

Evolving the operating model and influencing investment in systems and infrastructure are the hardest practices across all to apply

Across all journey management practices, efforts to evolve the operating model and enabling infrastructure (averaging 2.54 out of 5) and to influence system and infrastructure investments (averaging 2.58 out of 5) rank as the least effective. Even organisations at the advanced practice stage rate the effectiveness of these practices between "slightly" and "moderately effective", underscoring that they remain by far the most challenging to implement.

Insight

Evolving the operating model and influencing investment in systems and infrastructure are the hardest practices across all to apply

Across all journey management practices, efforts to evolve the operating model and enabling infrastructure (averaging 2.54 out of 5) and to influence system and infrastructure investments (averaging 2.58 out of 5) rank as the least effective. Even organisations at the advanced practice stage rate the effectiveness of these practices between "slightly" and "moderately effective", underscoring that they remain by far the most challenging to implement.

Insight

Evolving the operating model and influencing investment in systems and infrastructure are the hardest practices across all to apply

Across all journey management practices, efforts to evolve the operating model and enabling infrastructure (averaging 2.54 out of 5) and to influence system and infrastructure investments (averaging 2.58 out of 5) rank as the least effective. Even organisations at the advanced practice stage rate the effectiveness of these practices between "slightly" and "moderately effective", underscoring that they remain by far the most challenging to implement.

Methods, tools and activities that make up this practice area

Centrally-led Journey team/function

Establishing a centralised journey team to serve as the organisational hub for standards, governance, and cross-functional expertise

Journey-specific roles and capabilities
Embedding journeys into team & delivery structures
Aligning accountability, KPIs & incentives
Adapting planning & operating rhythms
System and Infrastructure Investment
Evolving the operating model & enabling infrastructure

Source: State of Journey Management survey

What challenges do organisations experience with this practice?

The following challenges summarise the core themes identified across participant interviews. Survey participants rated the frequency of each challenge. The graph below compares average scores by different stages of practice:

The following challenges summarise the core themes identified across participant interviews. Survey participants rated the frequency of each challenge,
with average scores compared by practice stage below.

Emerging practicesEstablishedLeading
Adapting organisationalstructures and operating modelsPlanning anddecision rhythmsEnterprisesystem rigidityEstablishing organisationalmandate and sponsorshipMaintaining continuitythrough organisational changeRegulatory orlegislative constraints

Insight

Organisations that view system change as relevant experience a higher system rigidity challenges

Respondents who consider system and infrastructure investment relevant encounter enterprise system rigidity significantly more often (ρ = 0.37, adjusted p = .030). This highlights that a primary risk when scaling journey management across an organisation is the inability to steer core technical investments. Consequently, the projected ROI of journey management must account for these technical and legacy remediation costs, even when the underlying systems indirectly affect journey outcomes.

Insight

Organisations that view system change as relevant experience a higher system rigidity challenges

Respondents who consider system and infrastructure investment relevant encounter enterprise system rigidity significantly more often (ρ = 0.37, adjusted p = .030). This highlights that a primary risk when scaling journey management across an organisation is the inability to steer core technical investments. Consequently, the projected ROI of journey management must account for these technical and legacy remediation costs, even when the underlying systems indirectly affect journey outcomes.

Insight

Organisations that view system change as relevant experience a higher system rigidity challenges

Respondents who consider system and infrastructure investment relevant encounter enterprise system rigidity significantly more often (ρ = 0.37, adjusted p = .030). This highlights that a primary risk when scaling journey management across an organisation is the inability to steer core technical investments. Consequently, the projected ROI of journey management must account for these technical and legacy remediation costs, even when the underlying systems indirectly affect journey outcomes.

Insight

Advanced practices face the highest frequency of challenges related to this practice area than any other practice stage

There is no correlation between practice stage or effectiveness and the overall frequency of challenges encountered. Instead, advanced practices report the highest challenge frequency within this practice area. Specifically, planning and decision rhythms average 3.91 out of 5 (falling between "sometimes" and "often", with 82% facing this challenge often), enterprise system rigidity also scores 3.91 out of 5, and regulatory or legislative constraints average 3.62 out of 5, with 62% reporting it as a frequent obstacle.

Insight

Advanced practices face the highest frequency of challenges related to this practice area than any other practice stage

There is no correlation between practice stage or effectiveness and the overall frequency of challenges encountered. Instead, advanced practices report the highest challenge frequency within this practice area. Specifically, planning and decision rhythms average 3.91 out of 5 (falling between "sometimes" and "often", with 82% facing this challenge often), enterprise system rigidity also scores 3.91 out of 5, and regulatory or legislative constraints average 3.62 out of 5, with 62% reporting it as a frequent obstacle.

Insight

Advanced practices face the highest frequency of challenges related to this practice area than any other practice stage

There is no correlation between practice stage or effectiveness and the overall frequency of challenges encountered. Instead, advanced practices report the highest challenge frequency within this practice area. Specifically, planning and decision rhythms average 3.91 out of 5 (falling between "sometimes" and "often", with 82% facing this challenge often), enterprise system rigidity also scores 3.91 out of 5, and regulatory or legislative constraints average 3.62 out of 5, with 62% reporting it as a frequent obstacle.

Challenges that organisations experience

Establishing organisational mandate & sponsorship

Overcoming limited organisational positioning (Journey Management positioned outside design teams), authority or executive sponsorship for journey management to influence change across functions

Enterprise system rigidity
Adapting organisational structures & operating models
Planning & decision rhythms
Maintaining continuity through organisational change
Regulatory or legislative constraints

Source: State of Journey Management survey

Other practice areas to explore

Practice area 1

Practice area 2

Practice area 3

Practice area 4

Practice area 5

Practice area 6

Practice area 7

Practice area 8

Practice area 9

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