Sanjay Mohindroo
Explore modern IT operating models beyond Agile to drive business agility with data-driven frameworks, leadership insights, and case studies.
A Vision from the Helm of Global IT
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, global IT leaders face relentless pressure to deliver true business agility. Gone are the days when Agile practices alone could satisfy the board’s demand for rapid innovation and measurable ROI. Beyond Agile, modern operating models weave together product-focused teams, data-driven cultures, and automated workflows to drive continuous value. This post offers a high-energy exploration of how CIOs and CTOs can spark a new operating model revolution in their organizations. #ITLeadership #BusinessAgility
Drawing on years of steering digital transformations in banking, healthcare, and retail, I share a perspective forged in the trenches. We will examine the building blocks of modern IT models—digital cores, platform teams, and governance frameworks—that empower organizations to pivot at speed. Along the way, we’ll spark discussion with open-ended questions and invite you to share your breakthroughs and roadblocks. Let’s rethink what agility means at scale. #DigitalTransformation
From Boardroom to Data Center
As board members tie technology strategy directly to profit and growth, operating model evolution has risen to the top of the agenda. A modern IT model does more than deliver software faster; it reduces risk, strengthens security, and unlocks new revenue streams. In volatile markets, this agility can make the difference between leading an industry or scrambling to catch up. IT leaders who champion this shift earn a seat at the table. #CIOPriorities #DigitalTransformation
When teams labor under rigid hierarchies, projects stall, costs spike, and vulnerabilities grow. Research shows that organizations with flexible IT models launch products 25% faster and cut operating expenses by 20%. These gains translate into a tangible market advantage and resilience against disruption. As senior leaders, we must frame operating model change as a strategic business initiative, not a technical side project. #EmergingTechStrategy #DataDrivenDecisionMakingInIT
Mapping the New Landscape
Generative AI and intelligent automation now underpin next-generation IT operating models. By 2025, companies using AI-driven backlog prioritization and predictive analytics report up to a 30% reduction in operational costs and 40% faster delivery cycles. This shift frees teams from manual tasks and refocuses talent on high-value innovation. IT leaders must build AI capabilities into their core operating frameworks to capture these gains. #AIInIT #Automation
Data democratization moves analytics from centralized IT to empowered business units. Self-service platforms, clear data catalogs, and governance guardrails let teams access insights without bottlenecks. Organizations that embrace this approach see decision cycles shrink from weeks to hours, boosting responsiveness. A culture that values data literacy and trust will drive adoption and unlock real-time decision-making. #DataDemocracy #DataDriven
Rigid hierarchies give way to product-centric squads and tribes aligned to value streams. These autonomous teams feature end-to-end, from design through deployment, and share knowledge via chapters and guilds. This model reduces handoffs, aligns priorities, and fosters a sense of ownership. It scales agility beyond IT, embedding innovation across the enterprise. #AgileEvolution #ProductThinking
Platform engineering teams build self-service APIs, pipelines, and observability tools that squads consume. This platform layer standardizes core services, reduces cognitive load, and accelerates delivery. Meanwhile, microservices architectures decouple systems for resilience and rapid updates. Together, these elements form the technical backbone of a modern IT operating model, enabling safe experimentation at scale. #PlatformEngineering #Microservices
Wisdom from the Front Lines
When I led a global CRM transformation, we aligned squads to clear business KPIs like customer retention and sales cycle time. This focus cut decision cycles by 40% and improved stakeholder trust. Clarity of purpose, backed by real-time metrics, fueled team motivation and kept us on track. #Leadership #Metrics
Empowering teams drives innovation but demands lightweight governance. We established guardrails—standards for security, compliance, and code quality—without dictating every step. Teams chose their tools and methods within these boundaries. This balance sparked creativity while keeping risk in check. #Governance #TeamAutonomy
Investing in data literacy was a game changer. We trained hundreds of employees on data tools and best practices. As data fluency grew, teams embraced self-service analytics, cutting time-to-insight from weeks to hours. A strong digital core—clean, accessible data—underpinned this success. #DataLiteracy #DigitalCore
A Playbook for Immediate Action
The AGILE+ Canvas offers a clear playbook for leaders. Step one: map your digital core—critical apps, data flows, and infrastructure. Step two: define value streams and assign cross-functional squads. Step three: set outcome-based metrics and feedback loops. Step four: build platform services for self-service delivery. This iterative model helps teams act on day one and evolve continuously. #Frameworks #BusinessAgility
At the portfolio level, adopt a 90-day sprint cycle. In each cycle, leaders review priorities, adjust squad focus, and validate outcomes with stakeholders. This rhythm balances the need for speed with the stability required for governance and compliance. It also creates a predictable cadence that aligns IT and business teams. #PortfolioAgility #SprintCycle
Lessons from Trailblazers
Spotify’s Squad and Tribe model remains a powerful example of enterprise agility. Squads act like mini startups, owning features from end to end, while tribes and guilds enable knowledge sharing and alignment. This structure helped Spotify iterate rapidly on new features and scale to millions of users. It also inspired other firms to experiment with similar patterns. #SpotifyModel #AgileAtScale
ING’s shift to a microservices-driven operating model and Agile at scale cut release times by 60%. Cross-functional squads aligned to customer journeys replaced siloed functions. A central platform team provided shared services, and governance guardrails ensured security and compliance. This blend of autonomy and standardization unlocked new levels of speed and reliability. #Microservices #BankingAgility
Charting the Path Ahead
As we look to 2026, edge computing and quantum-ready architectures will reshape operating models again. Edge deployments will drive real-time processing for IoT and autonomous systems, while quantum computing pressures will force new encryption and data strategies. Leaders who build flexible, policy-driven platforms will manage emerging risks and seize next-gen opportunities. #EdgeComputing #QuantumReady
Your move matters. Start by assessing your digital core, piloting cross-functional squads, and investing in data literacy programs. Share your challenges and breakthroughs in the comments below. Let’s co-create the next chapter of IT operating model evolution and drive real business agility together. #JoinTheConversation #DigitalTransformationLeadership