When designing businesses/processes the fundamental question that we need to ask ourselves is which is the entity adding actual value? And many a time that question cannot be answered easily because the true value adders are hidden deep inside corporate layers of what ideally constitute a “support system”. To deep dive into the core, we need to peel off these layers much like peeling an onion because what is immediately visible to the eye is not what is generating true value. Apart from the core, all other functions are enablers and should be designed around the core in such a manner that they truly support the creators in every way possible.

The second important question is: Who are these creators? The creators are the ones who are creating the product (or service) that is generating profits. It could be a medicine, a device, a food item, an item of clothing, an automobile, or even a rocket. These creators are not one single entity – they are a complex web that can be depicted as intersecting circles in my overtly simplified diagram below; because every finished product requires a team of experts/specialists to deliver individual parts that are then assembled to form the whole. As long as we are aware of who these “creators” are and as long as we build a support system keeping them, their capabilities, their constraints, and their requirements in mind, we are definitely setting ourselves up for success. The minute the concentricity of the structure is disturbed, the fine balance of the machine that should ideally function like clockwork is lost. Organizations that work on a principle that is reverse, usually have a very shiny façade and look extremely lucrative on the outside but are hollow inside and prone to losses in the long term.

The bottom line is: Every support function in an organization needs to not only know its exact position as an enabler but should also understand the core deliverables of the organization and mold itself around the core to enable the generation of true value.