In the previous article, we looked beyond reporting lines and challenged assumptions about managers, expertise, and support. Now we can use capabilities to explore how the work could fit together.

When a seasoned business analyst looks at an organization, they don’t see a hierarchy of bosses—they see a capability map. Think of it as the anatomy of your business. If you want to achieve your North Star, you need your brain, heart, and limbs working in perfect synchronization.

1. The brain: Strategic (directional) capabilities

This is where the Why lives. These capabilities focus on where the organization is going and how it stays competitive.

Strategy & Planning: Defining the North Star and long-term goals.

Innovation & R&D: Developing the “What’s Next.”

Governance & Compliance: The “Rules of the Road” (especially critical in financial services).

Project delivery: The connective tissue. It’s the nervous system that sends signals from the brain to the rest of the body to ensure the work actually gets done.

2. The heart: Core (value-add) capabilities

This is the “What.” These are the activities that directly pump life (revenue) into the company.

Product/Service Management: Maintaining your “menu.”

Sales & Business Development: Onboarding new lifeblood.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM): The “No Client Goes Dormant” pulse—keeping the lifecycle healthy.

Operations & fulfilment: The machinery that delivers the promise (loan processing, logistics, etc.).

3. The limbs: Supporting (enabling) capabilities

These are the “How.” The brain and heart cannot function without these limbs to move the needle.

Information Technology (IT): Infrastructure and security.

Human resources (HR): Recruiting and “lining up the players.”

Finance & Treasury: Managing the cash flow and “Do Not Buy Anything” constraints.

How do you move from your current mess to this aligned state? I call it “The Hash.”

It’s a structured conversation where you question the status quo and play with “What if?” scenarios. In business analysis, we call this solution analysis. Once you know your current state and your North Star, you start playing with the pieces.

Don’t Confuse Roles with People: If you start thinking about “Bob in Accounting” or “Sarah in Sales,” you’ll design the model around their specific strengths or weaknesses. Stick to the capabilities. Align the positions to win the game, then find the players to fill them.

Ignore Reporting Lines (For Now): Reporting structures kill creativity. Don’t ask “Who reports to whom?” Ask “Who gets their work from whom?” The flow of value is more important than the flow of performance reviews.

Pro Tip: Time-box these sessions! They can easily spiral into “never-never land.” Have a facilitator (like a BA) to summarize, move the conversation along, and keep the team focused on the North Star.