Target Operating Model Maximize the value of digital transformation for organizations. The adoption of new technologies has empowered organizations to shift how they operate, using intelligent automation, data-driven insights and agile methods to improve efficiency, elevate customer experience and reduce enterprise risk. Stakeholders across the enterprise play a critical role in this transformation, and a clear target operating model can serve as the roadmap for enterprise transformation, aligning people, process, technology and governance. Protiviti is the expert in target operating model services, providing comprehensive support across architecture, design, integration, change management and implementation. We help functions across the organization, including finance, operations, people, technology, risk and more, develop a practical roadmap to achieve transformational outcomes. We develop a best-fit vision, and ensure your processes, procedures, workflows, systems and teams deliver measurable value for your organization.With advanced target operating model expertise, our trusted team of advisors will help you maximize impact, address challenges and accelerate results. We help organizations navigate the path forward to improve digital adoption and ensure alignment across the enterprise. Survey September 8, 2025 6 min read 2025 Global Finance Trends Survey Finance trends 2025 report outlines CFO priorities, AI adoption in financial services, and finance transformation driving the future of finance. Read more How We’re Helping Our Clients We deliver a wide-range of capabilities to support your organization's unique target operating model needs and beyond: Pro Briefcase Managed Business Solutions A one-of-a-kind, flexible delivery model blends Protiviti’s consulting experience with Robert Half’s operational and financial expertise to build resource teams customized with clients to address challenges and deliver rapid improvement. Pro Building office HR Transformation & Talent Strategy With the help of Protiviti’s dedicated People & Change experts, we can guide you through the process of enhancing your people function by aligning the people strategy, process design and technology solutions to optimize performance and better support the business. Pro Document Consent Finance Transformation We help finance leaders go beyond transactions to deliver insights, enable data-driven decisions and manage risk. We build scalable, future-ready functions aligned with enterprise goals through agile operations, digital tools and teams prepared to lead change. Pro Document Stack Organizational Change Management By closely collaborating with key stakeholders, we gain insights into your most complex challenges and obstacles so that we can offer actionable strategies to overcome barriers and drive success through holistic change. Pro Rightmark Square Technology Strategy and Software Services From establishing strategy and implementing future-state solutions to supporting ongoing delivery of service, our focus is on agile design, dev-ops and implementation. Pro Location Globe Cost and Performance Management Protiviti helps you develop innovative approaches for sustainable cost control that provide the data insights, strategies and capabilities required to make intelligent business decisions and drive performance and growth. Operations Consulting Services Your operating model is the foundation of business performance. Protiviti helps you redesign and optimize it to drive efficiency, build resilience and enable sustainable growth for operations that are ready for disruption. How We Can Help CEO: COO: CFO: CHRO: CIO/CTO/CDO: CRO/CISO: CMO/CSO: CEO: We help CEOs set a clear strategic vision and ensure the target operating model aligns with corporate goals. We deliver innovative strategies that drive efficiency, resilience and growth—empowering leaders to position their organizations for long-term success. COO: We partner with operations leaders to design target operating models that deliver efficiency and resilience. We combine strategic insight with practical execution to simplify workflows, enhance governance and embed digital capabilities. Our proven approach reduces risk, accelerates decision-making and ensures your operating model can withstand market volatility. CFO: We help finance leaders address their current challenges, prepare for future challenges and explore opportunities for continuous growth, delivering innovative solutions and supporting finance as a forward-thinking, strategic partner for the business. CHRO: We help HR executives to align business and people strategies, enabling their organizations to navigate change, foster expansion and cultivate differentiated employee experiences. CIO/CTO/CDO: We help technology leaders align their enterprise architecture, define their technology and data strategy and modernize overall tech stacks to drive transformation. By designing scalable models that integrate automation, optimize delivery and keep innovation at the forefront, we help leaders ensure that their technology investments drive ROI and business value across the enterprise. CRO/CISO: We help CROs and CISOs ensure risk management and compliance are embedded in the target operating model. We provide forward-thinking solutions to strengthen resilience, anticipate emerging threats and safeguard the business while enabling sustainable growth. CMO/CSO: We help marketing and sales leaders leverage their target operating models as drivers for elevating customer experience, driving strategic growth and supporting sales and GTM execution. We help leaders define and create agile methodologies that connect overall brand strategy to operational goals, making sure that every touchpoint helps to drive loyalty, value and growth across the customer journey. Bridge capability gaps and drive transformation Our Approach In a world dominated by digital transformation, organizations need to align across the enterprise to support shared business goals. The target operating model must be enterprise-wide, ensuring strategic partnership across the business. Our approach addresses today’s challenges, whether that’s talent shortages, technology gaps, change management or functional misalignment. We help bridge capability gaps and drive transformation through tailored solutions that combine internal and external strengths. Depending on your organization’s specific needs, Protiviti’s experts work to help you deliver rapid improvements, drive operational and cost efficiencies or navigate the complexities of outsourcing arrangements, improving service while reducing costs. We tailor our solutions to your organizational needs to uncover opportunities and optimize your resources throughout the process.Every organization is unique. At Protiviti, we design our approach to be flexible and scalable to our clients’ needs. We follow a standard methodology designed to assess your organization’s current situation, define a high-level target operating model and create a path forward for efficiency and improvement. Bridge capability gaps and drive transformation Innovate, adapt and succeed Take the Pulse of Your Organization’s Finance Function Not sure whether your organization would benefit from our services? A helpful starting point is to consider the following questions:Are your functional capabilities aligned with your organization’s overall strategy and goals?Do you have a clear way to measure current skills, processes and performance across your teams?Are roles, responsibilities and workflows structured for efficiency and cost-effectiveness?Are your processes delivering consistent, high-quality outcomes that meet stakeholder expectations?Are you harnessing technology, data and real-time forecasting to drive smarter decisions and agile operations?Are you able to manage workload fluctuations and resource demands without impacting performance?Do your outcomes create measurable value for internal customers and external stakeholders?We understand there are no easy answers or solutions to these issues, but our consultants stand ready to help you navigate a path forward. At Protiviti, our mission is to help your organization innovate, adapt and succeed. We will work with you to determine a roadmap to success that enables the future-state model while considering the impacts to your valued team.Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your organization save costs and increase efficiency with an improved target operating model. Innovate, adapt and succeed Our Finance Operating Model Methodology At Protiviti, we understand that every client’s environment and needs are different. We design our approach to be flexible and scalable to our clients’ needs. However, we do follow a standard methodology designed to assess your organization’s current situation, define a high-level target operating model and create a path forward for efficiency and improvement. Leadership Shawn Seasongood Shawn is a Managing Director leading the Finance and Performance Management segment. He assists clients globally in business and system transformations to address growth, scalability of systems, challenges and process effectiveness.Shawn is a leader within the ... Learn More Samir Datt Samir Datt, Managing Director, Technology Strategy & Architecture Leader and CIO Solutions - Energy & Utilities, brings over 25 years of technology consulting experience. He serves as the Global Lead of Protiviti’s Technology Strategy & Architecture ... Learn More David Petrucci David has 30 years of operational improvement and innovation experience working across industry, technology and consulting organizations. His specialty is developing new business and organizational models enabled by the intersection of business & technology. ... Learn More Fran Maxwell Fran Maxwell, Global CHRO Team and People & Change Leader, brings to Protiviti more than 21 years of experience in human resources and change management consulting. He is based in Phoenix.Before joining Protiviti in 2021, Fran held progressive leadership roles at ... Learn More Featured insights and client stories SURVEY Risk insights for finance teams 3 min read If the first few months of 2025 are any indication, navigating risk-strewn near-term and long-term risk environments will be difficult. In this regard, the chief financial officers (CFOs) broad exposure to macroeconomic and strategic risks as well as... BLOG Empowering Finance: Integrating Agentic AI Into the Talent Model 7 min read Finance functions can leverage agentic AI to mitigate the effects of talent shortages and improve data production and analysis. These opportunities have profound implications on corporate finance groups, which should be prepared to add an entirely... WHITEPAPER Transforming the Enterprise: How to Guide an ERP Implementation to Success 23 min read ERP systems are the backbone of enterprise operations, supporting critical functions like finance, operations and HR. But they are more than that — modern, cloud-based ERP systems can be truly transformational to business, allowing it to work in ways... RESOURCE GUIDE Navigating New Tariffs: Enhance Agility and Confidence 3 min read Fluctuating tariffs and potential shifts in trade relationships are creating significant challenges for management teams. Companies across industries are pivoting to operate under greater volatility and uncertainty. While the direction, magnitude,... Previous Article Pagination Next Article Frequently Asked Questions What is a target operating model? + A target operating model is a strategic framework that outlines how an organization should operate in the future to deliver on its business objectives. It defines the optimal structure, processes, technology, people and governance needed to execute strategy and drive performance across the enterprise. What are the benefits of a target operating model? + A target operating model helps organizations gain clarity and control over how they operate, enabling better alignment between strategy and execution. It supports smarter decision-making, improves collaboration across functions and positions the business to scale and evolve more effectively over time. Why is developing a target operating model important for transformation? + A well-designed target operating model is essential for aligning operations with strategic goals during transformation. It provides a clear roadmap for change, helping organizations improve efficiency, reduce risk, adapt to new technologies and create lasting value across all business functions. How does Protiviti support organizations in building a target operating model? + Protiviti helps organizations define and implement a target operating model that is practical, scalable and aligned to their unique goals. From assessment and strategy design to execution and change management, we guide clients through each step of the transformation journey. What elements are typically included in a target operating model? + A comprehensive target operating model includes core components such as organizational structure, roles and responsibilities, end-to-end processes, supporting technologies, performance metrics and governance models. These elements work together to enable efficient and agile operations. Who in the organization should be involved in target operating model development? + Developing a successful target operating model requires collaboration across leadership roles, including the CEO, COO, CIO/CTO/CDO, CFO, CRO/CISO, CMO/CSO, CHRO and others. Each function plays a role in shaping how the organization operates and ensuring alignment with strategic and operational priorities.
