Since the 1990s, the “People, Process, Technology” framework has been used to describe the operating model. When we were fitting Tetris blocks perfectly on our Game Boys, organizations sought the right fit between People, Process, and Technology. This framework has long been a foundation for operational success, helping businesses achieve efficiency, alignment, and adaptability.
However, the most effective operating models recognize one fundamental truth: people are at the heart of it all. It is people who shape processes, drive technology adoption, and ensure that both serve the greater goals of the organization. Rather than seeing People, Process, and Technology as separate forces, businesses should recognize them as interconnected, with people as the catalyst that brings everything to life.
Here are eight ways to build an optimized operating model that truly puts people first:
Clarify Strategic Priorities
- Align Goals: Ensure that the entire operating model—processes, technology, and human investment—serves your organization’s vision, mission, and key priorities.
- Leverage Human Insight: Engage leaders and employees in defining strategic priorities to ensure alignment with both business needs and frontline realities.
- Empower Ownership: People, not systems, execute strategy. Foster a culture where employees take ownership of priorities and drive business value.
Design Processes That Empower People
- Simplify, Don’t Stifle: Streamline workflows to eliminate unnecessary complexity while ensuring that processes enhance, rather than hinder, human potential.
- Make Process Work for People: Introduce standard operating procedures (SOPs) for routine tasks while allowing flexibility where needed.
- Enable Through Technology: Implement digital tools that complement human strengths—enhancing decision-making, eliminating repetitive tasks, and freeing people to focus on high-value work.
Foster Organizational Alignment
- Structure for Success: Organize teams so that roles, responsibilities, and workflows support collaboration, innovation, and rapid decision-making in the face of daily disruptions.
- Break Down Silos: Create opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, ensuring that knowledge and ideas flow freely across the organization.
- Develop People-Centric Leadership: Leaders should act as enablers—coaching, mentoring, and aligning people with the right tools and training and development opportunities.
Unlock Capacities and Capabilities
- Right-Sizing Resources: Match human, financial, and technological resources to the needs of the business without underutilization or excess.
- Ensure the Right Resource Mix: People should focus on high-impact work. Optimize through outsourcing or automation where human effort is best redirected.
- Continuous Improvement: Regularly review resource allocation and adjust based on business changes.
Enable Data-Driven Decision-Making
- Make Data Accessible and Understandable: Insights should empower employees at all levels to make informed decisions.
- Measure What Drives Impact: Identify KPIs that reflect human contributions, such as employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and innovation outcomes.
- Use Data to Guide, Not Replace, Human Judgment: While technology can provide powerful analytics, final decisions should be driven by human insight and contextual understanding.
Embrace Agility and Adaptability
- Empower Teams to Pivot Quickly: Agility isn’t just about process—it’s about giving people the authority and flexibility to respond to changes in real-time.
- Encourage Experimentation: Innovation flourishes when employees are encouraged to test ideas, fail fast, and iterate.
- Keep the Customer in Focus: Employees should be equipped and empowered to shape experiences that directly serve customer needs.
Integrate Technology as an Enabler, Not a Driver
- Technology Should Serve People: Digital tools should enhance human creativity, productivity, and problem-solving—not dictate rigid processes.
- Make Adoption Human-Centered: Successful technology integration depends on people embracing and maximizing its potential—prioritize intuitive design, training, and change management.
- Encourage Innovation from Within: Foster an environment where employees can propose and experiment with new technological solutions that enhance their work.
Governance and Performance Management That Inspires
- Create a Culture of Accountability: Clear ownership of tasks and objectives fosters engagement and performance.
- Prioritize Transparency and Communication: Employees should feel informed, heard, and connected to broader business goals.
- Make Performance Reviews Growth-Oriented: Focus on how processes and technology support (or hinder) people’s ability to succeed and continuously refine based on feedback.
People Drive the Future of Business
An optimized operating model isn’t about balancing People, Process, and Technology—it’s about recognizing that people are the driving force behind all three. When organizations prioritize their people, they create an environment where processes are intuitive, technology enhances rather than dictates, and the business is equipped to navigate change with agility and confidence.
So, rather than asking what comes first, the real question is: How can we empower our people to shape the future of our organization?
Contact an expert at Zinata today to learn how a people-centric consulting approach can turn these insights into action.
