This chapter is your ready-to-use toolkit. The goal is simple: if you were dropped into a TOM project tomorrow, you could copy these patterns into your own decks and working documents and start immediately.
We’ll cover:
- A “project startup pack” of core templates
- Design workshop structures you can reuse
- A minimal, standard set of TOM deliverables
- Pitfalls and “smell tests” to sanity-check any TOM design
19.1 Project Startup Pack (Charters, Stakeholder Maps, Interview Guides)
When you start a TOM effort, you don’t need 20 documents. You need a tight startup pack that frames the work, aligns stakeholders, and gets you into structured conversations fast.
A practical startup pack includes:
- TOM Project Charter
- Stakeholder Map and Engagement Plan
- Interview Guide Set (Exec-level, Mid-management, Front line, Functions)
TOM Project Charter – template structure
Aim for 4–6 pages, not a novella. Sections:
- Context and Rationale
- Brief description of where the business is today.
- Strategic priorities that drive the need for a new TOM.
- Key pain points (cost, speed, risk, experience, complexity)
- Objectives and Value Targets
- Primary objectives in 3–5 bullets (e.g., “Reduce cost-to-serve by X–Y%,” “Cut onboarding time by 50%”).
- Target ranges where possible rather than single numbers.
- Explicit statement of what the TOM is not primarily about (e.g., “This is not primarily a headcount reduction program”).
- Primary objectives in 3–5 bullets (e.g., “Reduce cost-to-serve by X–Y%,” “Cut onboarding time by 50%”).
- Scope and Boundaries
- Organizational scope: entities, BUs, regions, functions included/excluded.
- Value streams in focus (3–7 named journeys).
- Design dimensions in scope (process, org, tech, data, sourcing, performance, risk).
- Time horizon (e.g., target state 3 years out, roadmap focus 18–24 months).
- Design Principles
- 5–10 principles, each a single sentence, directional and testable.
- Example: “Global standards where risk and efficiency matter; local flexibility where it creates customer value.”
- Governance and Roles
- Sponsor and decision-maker.
- Steering group membership and cadence.
- Transformation lead / TOM architect, wave leads, and workstream leads.
- Deliverables and Key Milestones
- List of main outputs (TOM blueprint, business case, roadmap, wave plans).
- 4–8 high-level milestones with indicative dates (e.g., “High-level TOM design sign-off by Month X”).
- Constraints and Interfaces
- Non-negotiable constraints (regulatory, union, tech, contracts).
- Interfaces with major ongoing programs (ERP, M&A, restructuring).
You can lift this sectioning directly into a slide deck or Word doc.
Stakeholder Map and Engagement Plan – template structure
Create a one-page map and a one-page plan.
- Map:
- Rows: stakeholder groups (e.g., CEO, ExCo, BU heads, Country heads, Functional heads, middle managers, unions, regulators, key vendors).
- Columns: Impact (Low/Medium/High), Influence (Low/Medium/High), Current stance (Supportive/Neutral/Skeptical/Opposed).
- Engagement Plan:
For each high-impact / high-influence group, specify:- Objectives: what you need from them (sponsorship, decisions, knowledge, advocacy).
- Key messages: the 3–5 points they must hear early.
- Formats: 1:1s, small group workshops, town halls, check-ins.
- Frequency: one-off, monthly, each major milestone, etc.
- Owner: who in the leadership team “owns” this relationship.
You don’t need perfect science; you do need conscious choices about who must be in the tent.
Interview Guides – core question sets
You don’t need 20 versions. Build 3–4 variants off a single backbone:
Core sections for all guides:
- Context and Strategy
- “From your perspective, what are the 2–3 most important strategic priorities for the next 3–5 years?”
- “What needs to be true operationally for us to deliver those priorities?”
- How Work Gets Done Today
- “Walk me through the most critical journeys or processes you touch.”
- “Where do handovers or approvals slow things down?”
- “Where does work most often ‘fall between the cracks’?”
- Pain Points and Failure Modes
- “What are the 3 biggest sources of frustration or risk in how we operate today?”
- “If you had a magic wand to fix one thing in the way we work, what would it be?”
- Ideas and Constraints
- “What changes have you or your team been wanting to make but haven’t been able to?”
- “What constraints (regulatory, contractual, technology, culture) do you think we must respect?”
- “What changes have you or your team been wanting to make but haven’t been able to?”
Then add audience-specific blocks:
- Exec-level: more on trade-offs, risk appetite, and value targets.
- Middle management: more on day-to-day operational realities, cross-functional friction.
- Front line: more on specific tools, steps, metrics, and workarounds.
- Functions (IT, Risk, Finance, HR): more on governance, systems, data, and control frameworks.
The key is to standardize 70% of questions so you can synthesize patterns quickly, and only customize the last 30%.
19.2 Design Workshop Templates and Exercises
Design workshops are where your TOM comes alive. You don’t need elaborate methodology; you need repeatable structures that consistently produce design decisions, not just sticky notes.
Three workshop types cover most needs:
- Value Stream / Journey Design Workshops
- Org & Governance Design Sessions
- Roadmap and Prioritization Sessions
You can reuse these agendas almost verbatim.
1. Value Stream / Journey Design Workshop (half to full day)
Typical agenda:
- Context and Objectives (30–45 min)
- Recap strategy, TOM principles, and the specific journey’s role.
- Confirm objectives: what must this session decide (e.g., target high-level blueprint, key metrics, ownership).
- Current-State Walkthrough (45–60 min)
- Walk a typical “day in the life” or case through the current process.
- Use an existing high-level map on the wall or screen.
- Capture pain points on the map directly.
- Design Principles and Guardrails (30 min)
- Review design principles and constraints that apply to this journey.
- Ask: “Are any of these particularly relevant or contentious here?”
- Target-State E2E Draft (90–120 min)
- In small cross-functional groups, sketch the target E2E stages (6–12 boxes).
- For each stage, define: main activities, primary owner, key systems, obvious controls.
- Groups converge into a single draft blueprint.
- Ownership, Metrics, and Variants (60–90 min)
- Confirm a single end-to-end owner.
- Define 5–8 key KPIs (speed, quality, experience, cost, risk).
- Identify where standardization is mandatory, where variants are allowed, and under what rules.
- Implications and Next Steps (30–45 min)
- Capture what this blueprint implies for org, tech, data, sourcing.
- Confirm what must be validated (pilots, data checks, regulatory input).
- Assign owners for follow-up designs and decisions.
Outputs: a draft E2E blueprint, a strawman KPI set, a named journey owner, and a short list of unresolved questions.
2. Org & Governance Design Session (half day)
Agenda:
- Anchor in Value Streams (30 min)
- Re-affirm priority value streams and target customer promises.
- Shift mindset from “functions” to “how we create value.”
- Macro-Structure Options (60–90 min)
- Present 2–3 macro-structure options (e.g., segment-led vs. product-led vs. region-led with platforms).
- For each, discuss pros/cons using a simple criteria set (strategy fit, accountability, simplicity, risk, talent).
- Aim to narrow to one preferred option, or a clear hybrid.
- Key Roles and Decision Areas (60–90 min)
- Identify critical roles (journey owners, platform owners, heads of shared services, key functional leaders).
- Map 8–12 critical decisions (e.g., product approval, pricing, major capex, risk limits) to owners and forums.
- Governance Forum Design (45–60 min)
- Define 4–6 core forums (ExCo, Journey Council, Investment Committee, Risk Committee, etc.).
- For each: purpose, decisions, membership, cadence.
Outputs: selected macro-structure, list of critical roles, draft decision-rights mapping, and a governance “spine.”
3. Roadmap and Prioritization Session (half day)
Agenda:
- Value and Risk Recap (30–45 min)
- Review value case by major lever and key risks.
- Confirm non-negotiable dates (regulatory deadlines, contract expiries, system sunsets).
- Wave Definition (60–90 min)
- Sketch 2–4 waves on a whiteboard (time on x-axis).
- Allocate major initiatives to waves, based on dependencies and risk.
- Check whether enough early value lands in Wave 1.
- Pilot and MVP Selection (45–60 min)
- Choose 2–4 pilots or MVPs for Wave 1.
- Define success criteria and boundaries.
- Capacity and Constraint Check (45–60 min)
- Identify top constraints (key people, tech capacity, change fatigue in certain units).
- Adjust wave scope to something deliverable.
Outputs: a sketched TOM roadmap, defined Wave 1 scope, selected pilots/MVPs, and a list of capacity gaps.
These workshop templates are deliberately simple so you can reuse them across industries with minor tweaks.
19.3 Standard TOM Deliverables: Examples and Checklists
To keep TOM programs sane, standardize on a minimal set of core deliverables. You don’t need 40 PowerPoint artifacts; you need 6–8 really solid ones.
A practical TOM deliverable set:
- TOM Design Brief (from earlier chapters)
- “As-Is” Fact Pack
- Target E2E Blueprints (for priority journeys)
- Organization & Governance Design Pack
- Technology, Data, and Sourcing Design Summary
- Business Case & Value Model
- Roadmap & Wave Plans
- Transformation Governance & Operating Guide
For each, here’s what “good” looks like.
1. TOM Design Brief – checklist
- Strategy and value agenda summarized on 1–2 slides.
- Scope and design principles clearly stated and referenced by other documents.
- Guardrails (risk, regulation, tech, commitments) explicit and practical.
- Sponsor and governance model defined with named roles.
2. “As-Is” Fact Pack – checklist
- 1-page performance snapshot (cost, speed, quality, risk, experience).
- 1–3 pages of value stream maps at high level (current state).
- 1–2 pages on org and governance: who owns what today, key forums.
- 1–2 pages on tech and data landscape relevant to scope.
- 2–3 pages on prioritized structural issues and failure modes (8–15 items).
- No more detail than design teams will actually use.
3. Target E2E Blueprints – checklist
For each priority journey:
- A single-page diagram with 6–12 major stages, in order.
- For each stage: main activities, primary role/team, main systems, key controls.
- 5–8 KPIs (speed, quality, cost, experience, risk) identified and owned.
- Variants and localization rules annotated (e.g., “step differs for country X due to regulation Y”).
- End-to-end owner named.
4. Org & Governance Design Pack – checklist
- Macro-structure diagram (BUs, segments, regions, shared services, platforms).
- Rationale vs. 5–7 design criteria (strategy fit, accountability, simplicity, etc.).
- List of critical roles with brief role descriptions and reporting lines.
- Decision-rights summary: 8–12 critical decisions with owners and forums.
- Governance forum overview: name, purpose, membership, cadence.
5. Technology, Data, and Sourcing Design Summary – checklist
- High-level architecture diagram: systems of record, engagement layers, integration, data platform.
- Table or diagram mapping value streams to enabling platforms and key capabilities.
- Data domain ownership: who owns key domains (customer, product, contract, etc.).
- Sourcing model overview: what is internal vs. shared services vs. outsourced/partnered.
- Location footprint overview: main hubs, spokes, and what they do.
6. Business Case & Value Model – checklist
- Headline P&L impact (range) by year for 3–5 years.
- Breakdown by value lever (cost, revenue, risk, experience proxies).
- Clear assumptions and sensitivity ranges for major levers.
- Investment overview: one-off and run-rate, by category and year.
- Link to TOM initiatives and waves (which moves generate what).
7. Roadmap & Wave Plans – checklist
- One-page multi-year roadmap (waves, major initiatives, tech milestones).
- Wave charters for next 12–18 months: objectives, scope, key initiatives, milestones, risks.
- High-level capacity view: which functions/teams are most impacted in each wave.
- Dependencies reflected (tech, org, policy, vendor, regulatory).
8. Transformation Governance & Operating Guide – checklist
- Governance structure picture: ExCo, TSC, TO, workstreams, key forums.
- RACI or similar for governance decisions (e.g., scope changes, funding, risk acceptance).
- Standard cadence: what gets reviewed weekly, monthly, quarterly.
- Standard templates: status summary, RAID view, benefits dashboard.
- Short “ways of working” note: expectations for leaders and teams in the TOM transformation.
If you keep your program anchored on these deliverables, you reduce noise and make it easier for new stakeholders to quickly understand where things stand.
19.4 Common Pitfalls and “Smell Tests” for TOM Designs
Even experienced teams fall into recurring traps. A short list of pitfalls and accompanying “smell tests” will save you a lot of pain.
Pitfall 1: Strategy and TOM disconnected
Smell tests:
- If you ask three senior leaders how the TOM supports the strategy and get three different answers, the link is weak.
- The TOM design documents rarely or never reference the strategic value agenda or customer promises.
Countermeasure:
- Force every major TOM decision page to start with: “Which strategic priorities and value levers this supports.”
Pitfall 2: TOM is just an org chart
Smell tests:
- Most discussion time is spent on reporting lines and titles, not value streams, processes, or metrics.
- There are few or no E2E journey blueprints, but many hierarchical org diagrams.
- Tech, data, and control implications appear as afterthoughts.
Countermeasure:
- Make value stream and journey blueprints the primary design artifact; org design must “fit around” them.
Pitfall 3: Over-engineered or over-generic design
Smell tests:
- Documents are full of abstract frameworks and 2x2s, but light on “who does what on Monday.”
- Front-line managers say, “I don’t see my world in this.”
- The TOM could almost be copy-pasted into another company with minimal change.
Countermeasure:
- Require each major TOM doc to include at least one “day in the life” or concrete scenario for key roles.
- Ask explicitly: “Where will this design make day-to-day work visibly different within 6–12 months?”
Pitfall 4: Ignoring technology and data reality
Smell tests:
- The TOM assumes certain capabilities (e.g., real-time single customer view, straight-through processing) without tech and data teams confirming feasibility and timeline.
- There is no named integration or data owner in workshops or governance.
- Legacy systems and integration constraints are never explicitly referenced in design docs.
Countermeasure:
- Involve architecture and data owners in all key design reviews.
- Maintain a visible list of tech and data constraints and enablers for reference.
Pitfall 5: Wishful resourcing and change capacity
Smell tests:
- Same 10 “hero” leaders are listed as key actors or sponsors in almost every initiative.
- Waves are stacked with multiple big moves in the same function, location, or team.
- No one has mapped how many change/program roles are actually available.
Countermeasure:
- Maintain a capacity heat map by function, region, and role.
- In each roadmap review, ask: “Who exactly is doing this, and what are they dropping to make room?”
Pitfall 6: No hard trade-offs or decommissioning
Smell tests:
- You see lots of “and” and very little “instead of.”
- No explicit list of processes, systems, reports, or forums that will be retired.
- Costs to support “old and new” simultaneously are not accounted for.
Countermeasure:
- Require each wave to have a “stop” list: what will be turned off, closed, merged, or scrapped.
- Track “dual-running” periods and costs explicitly in the roadmap and business case.
Pitfall 7: TOM remains a project, not the new BAU
Smell tests:
- Performance reviews, incentives, and management routines haven’t been updated, yet go-live dates have passed.
- The Transformation Office is still doing work that line managers should own.
- New processes or systems are technically live, but most volume still flows through old routes.
Countermeasure:
- Bake TOM metrics and roles into HR, performance, and governance processes before or immediately after go-live.
- Plan a deliberate handover from transformation to BAU for each wave, with clear criteria for “ownership transferred.”
You can keep a one-page “smell test” checklist and run it at each major design milestone or gate review.
