25 Sep Perfect Functional Strategy

A Collaborative Approach to Organisational Design

Do you think there is a standard structure for any given function in any organisation? Many believe that best-practice blueprints can solve structural challenges, but this often overlooks the unique strategic and contextual factors of each organisation. In this post, we explore the tailored, collaborative approach that guides our work in redesigning an accounting team’s structure, positions, responsibilities, and processes within a multinational industrial organisation.

Understanding the Strategic Context

We were approached to review an accounting function in a large, multi-national industrial organisation operating in South Africa and across Africa. While familiar with the organisation, we initially knew little about the specific challenges faced by the accounting team or what level of change was required. The first step in our approach is to understand the strategic perspectives and positions of the organisation and the accounting function itself.

From the organisation’s website, we gained a sense of its overall strategic direction but not of its current strategic priorities or positions. We need to know what the organisation and the accounting department aim to achieve and where they currently stand. Strategic anchors are essential to guide the design intent.

We know that this is a mature organisation with a formalised structure and distributed operations, including two manufacturing sites and an administrative hub. Given the mature industry context, we anticipate a structured approach with a strong technical system at its core—but we’re prepared for surprises.

Accounting is a globally standardised profession, with core functions often defined by professional bodies. However, the distribution of accounting responsibilities between the plants and the administrative office is something we need to explore—both in terms of what is done where and why.

Challenges with Standard Blueprints

The organisation’s operating core is undergoing a revision to introduce new systems, likely impacting support services like accounting. What we don’t know yet is how these technical system changes affect the accounting function, and whether the accounting systems are evolving in parallel with the operating core. We also need to understand the level of professionalisation within the accounting team, which can vary significantly in older firms where experience often trumps formal qualifications. High resistance to change can be expected if the team consists of long-tenured staff operating under a stable but outdated system.

In our experience, applying a standard “best practice” blueprint without understanding these contextual factors often leads to misaligned recommendations. Accounting is a well-established function, and while blueprints might seem an easy solution, they rarely account for the specific realities of the South African context or the unique challenges within each organisation.

The Collaborative Design Process

Once we have a clear picture of the strategic and internal context, the next step is to co-create a design that aligns with the organisation’s needs. This process requires a clear mandate—a unified understanding of what the design review should achieve. Engaging powerful stakeholders is crucial, but aligning their sometimes conflicting expectations can be challenging. It’s rare for operations, accounting, and general management to fully agree on the role and objectives of the accounting function.

We start by mapping the current state: what work is done, where, by whom, using what systems, and why. From there, we redivide the labour, considering both accounting standards and the operational needs of the organisation. This process produces a theoretical blueprint, which we then validate through workshops with affected stakeholders, including operations, accounting, and information management teams.

During this collaborative journey, we assess leadership and management capabilities, as well as the psychological health of the affected teams. Change is inherently challenging and will test internal and external relationships. Effective management, combined with transformational leadership, becomes a crucial element in facilitating a smooth transition.

Moving Towards a Viable Future State

By involving stakeholders throughout the process, we build change readiness from the ground up. As the affected staff and change drivers start to see a viable future state, their resistance diminishes, and readiness for transition grows. Only at this point can we make solid, actionable recommendations that are not only theoretically sound but also practically viable.

Conclusion

In summary, a successful organisational design review requires a deep understanding of the strategic context, the professionalisation level, and the current technical systems in place. Most importantly, it demands cross-unit collaboration to ensure that the design recommendations are aligned, feasible, and supported by those who will implement them.

At WorldsView Academy, we place Organisation Design at the centre of our work in leadership, strategy, and teams to ensure that every intervention is tailored to your specific context. If your organisation is ready to explore a collaborative approach to functional strategy and design, follow us on LinkedIn, subscribe to our newsletter, or contact us at info@worldsviewacademy.com.