Key Takeaways
- IT leaders face pressure to keep their teams aligned with constant technological change
- Team structure plays a crucial role in adopting new tools, platforms, and capabilities
- Common team structures include cross-functional pods, centralized IT models, product-aligned technology teams, and traditional silos
- Many organizations are rethinking their organizational models to support flexibility and sustained delivery
- Emerging technologies, AI adoption, and modernization efforts are driving changes in team structures
Introduction to the Challenge
Technology cycles continue to accelerate, and IT leaders are facing growing pressure to keep their teams aligned with constant change. Organizational design has become a practical concern tied to execution speed, accountability, and delivery outcomes. The way teams are structured plays a direct role in how effectively new tools, platforms, and capabilities are adopted. As a result, IT leaders are being forced to rethink their team structures to keep up with the changing tech landscape. The question on everyone’s mind is: how are you structuring your teams to keep up with changing tech cycles?
Exploring Team Structure Options
For many organizations, cross-functional pods or fusion teams have become a common approach. These teams combine skills across IT, security, product, and business functions to reduce handoffs and deliver work tied closely to business needs. This approach allows for greater collaboration and flexibility, enabling teams to respond quickly to changing technology demands. On the other hand, some organizations rely on a centralized IT model with dedicated liaisons working alongside business units. This structure emphasizes consistency and operational clarity, while still supporting collaboration through defined points of contact. Product-aligned technology teams remain a popular choice in environments focused on digital services, as organizing teams around products or value streams can improve ownership and maintain clearer alignment between technology work and customer outcomes.
Traditional Silos and Emerging Trends
Some organizations continue to operate with traditional silos supported by shared services, especially where legacy platforms or regulatory requirements dominate. This model can offer predictability and efficiency, though many leaders continue to evaluate its ability to keep pace with ongoing technology change. However, with the emergence of new technologies and the increasing adoption of AI, many organizations are being forced to rethink their traditional approaches. As a result, many leaders are reassessing their team structures to better support flexibility and sustained delivery. The rise of digital transformation and the need for rapid innovation are driving organizations to adopt more agile and adaptable team structures.
Rethinking Organizational Models
Many organizations report that they are actively rethinking their organizational model. Emerging technologies, AI adoption, and ongoing modernization efforts are driving leaders to reassess team structures to better support flexibility and sustained delivery. This shift towards more agile and adaptable team structures is being driven by the need for rapid innovation and the ability to respond quickly to changing technology demands. As organizations continue to navigate the ever-changing tech landscape, it is likely that we will see a continued shift towards more flexible and collaborative team structures. By embracing this change, IT leaders can ensure that their teams are well-equipped to handle the challenges of the digital age.
The Future of Team Structure
As we look to the future, it is clear that team structure will play a critical role in determining an organization’s ability to keep up with changing tech cycles. By adopting more agile and adaptable team structures, organizations can improve their ability to respond quickly to emerging technologies and trends. Whether through cross-functional pods, centralized IT models, or product-aligned technology teams, the key is to find a structure that supports collaboration, flexibility, and sustained delivery. As IT leaders continue to navigate the complex and ever-changing world of technology, one thing is clear: the way we structure our teams will be critical to our success. By sharing our perspectives and experiences, we can work together to create team structures that are equipped to handle the challenges of the digital age.
