{"id":4903,"date":"2026-10-30T17:46:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T17:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/what-we-think\/ai-operating-model\/"},"modified":"2026-11-06T10:38:31","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T10:38:31","slug":"ai-operating-model","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/what-we-think\/ai-operating-model\/","title":{"rendered":"HandsOn AI Operating Model"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"phero lit ip-hero\" aria-labelledby=\"h-om-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <nav class=\"crumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><a href=\"\/en\/\">Home<\/a><span aria-hidden=\"true\">\/<\/span><a href=\"\/?page_id=1690\">Insights<\/a><span aria-hidden=\"true\">\/<\/span><span>AI Operating Model<\/span><\/nav>\n      <h1 id=\"h-om-en\" class=\"ho-in\">HandsOn AI Operating Model<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">Two layers. Six domains. One core.<\/span><\/h1>\n      <p class=\"lead ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\">The model describes how an organization has to be built for AI to work in it. It carries Galbraith\u2019s Star Model, the center-led structures of Kates and Kesler and Worren\u2019s axiomatic design into the context of AI.<\/p>\n      <div class=\"row ho-in\" style=\"--i:2\"><a class=\"btn btn-p\" href=\"\/?page_id=4903#film-om-en\">Watch the film <span class=\"ar\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><a class=\"lnk\" href=\"\/?p=4655\">Read the whitepaper<\/a><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec-s vid-sec\" id=\"film-om-en\" aria-label=\"Film\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\"><div class=\"vid ho-in\"><video id=\"v-om-en\" preload=\"none\" playsinline=\"\" poster=\"\/wp-content\/mu-plugins\/handson-v4\/media\/aiom-poster.jpg\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/handson-ai-operating-model-2026-11.mp4\"><\/video><button class=\"vid-play\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play the film\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec rule-top\" aria-labelledby=\"h-omx-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-omx-en\" class=\"ho-in\">Click on a domain<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">The model in detail.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><p class=\"lead ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\">Leadership sets the foundation. Employees experience the guardrails every day. At the center sits the Human-AI Interface, connected to every domain.<\/p><\/div>\n      <div class=\"omx\" id=\"omx-en\">\n        <div class=\"omx-card\"><div class=\"om omx-map ho-in\"><span class=\"om-lab om-l1\">Strategic foundation<\/span><div class=\"om-row om-fnd\"><button class=\"om-d\" type=\"button\" data-k=\"D01\" style=\"--i:0\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><em>01<\/em><b>Strategy &amp; Value<\/b><small>Where does AI pay off?<\/small><\/button><button class=\"om-d\" type=\"button\" data-k=\"D02\" style=\"--i:1\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><em>02<\/em><b>Organization<\/b><small>Who is accountable for AI?<\/small><\/button><button class=\"om-d\" type=\"button\" data-k=\"D03\" style=\"--i:2\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><em>03<\/em><b>Governance<\/b><small>Which rules apply?<\/small><\/button><\/div><svg class=\"om-w\" viewBox=\"0 0 300 28\" preserveAspectRatio=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M50 0V14H250V0M150 0V28\"><\/path><\/svg><button class=\"om-hai\" type=\"button\" data-k=\"HAI\" aria-pressed=\"true\"><b>Human-AI Interface<\/b><small>Per AI tool, across all six domains<\/small><\/button><svg class=\"om-w\" viewBox=\"0 0 300 28\" preserveAspectRatio=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M150 0V14M50 28V14H250V28M150 14V28\"><\/path><\/svg><div class=\"om-row om-act\"><button class=\"om-d\" type=\"button\" data-k=\"D04\" style=\"--i:0\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><em>04<\/em><b>Decisions<\/b><small>How are decisions made?<\/small><\/button><button class=\"om-d\" type=\"button\" data-k=\"D05\" style=\"--i:1\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><em>05<\/em><b>Processes<\/b><small>How does the work flow?<\/small><\/button><button class=\"om-d\" type=\"button\" data-k=\"D06\" style=\"--i:2\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><em>06<\/em><b>Capabilities<\/b><small>What does the team need to know?<\/small><\/button><\/div><span class=\"om-lab om-l2\">Guardrails for everyday AI<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class=\"omx-panel ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\" aria-live=\"polite\"><div class=\"omx-p\" data-k=\"D01\" hidden=\"\"><span class=\"eyebrow\">D01 \u00b7 Foundation<\/span><h3>Strategy &amp; Value<\/h3><p class=\"omx-en\">Strategy &amp; Value Architecture<\/p><p class=\"omx-q\">Where does AI pay off?<\/p><p>Where does AI create competitive advantage, and where only efficiency? Use case portfolio, build, buy or partner, the cost of autonomy and what stays at the core.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"omx-p\" data-k=\"D02\" hidden=\"\"><span class=\"eyebrow\">D02 \u00b7 Foundation<\/span><h3>Organization<\/h3><p class=\"omx-en\">Organizational Structure<\/p><p class=\"omx-q\">Who is accountable for AI?<\/p><p>Central center of excellence, federated model or center-led hybrid with an AI hub and embedded AI leads. Reporting lines, AI owner and AI steward.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"omx-p\" data-k=\"D03\" hidden=\"\"><span class=\"eyebrow\">D03 \u00b7 Foundation<\/span><h3>Governance<\/h3><p class=\"omx-en\">System Governance<\/p><p class=\"omx-q\">Which rules apply?<\/p><p>The right governance framework, risk tiers under the EU AI Act, named accountability per system and governance across the whole lifecycle. Built on proportionality.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"omx-p\" data-k=\"D04\" hidden=\"\"><span class=\"eyebrow\">D04 \u00b7 Guardrails<\/span><h3>Decisions<\/h3><p class=\"omx-en\">Decision Architecture<\/p><p class=\"omx-q\">How are decisions made?<\/p><p>The decision rights registry: for each decision type, which role decides at which autonomy level and who may change that assignment. Escalation paths are documented.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"omx-p\" data-k=\"D05\" hidden=\"\"><span class=\"eyebrow\">D05 \u00b7 Guardrails<\/span><h3>Processes<\/h3><p class=\"omx-en\">Process &amp; Workflow Architecture<\/p><p class=\"omx-q\">How does the work flow?<\/p><p>Three approaches side by side: AI overlay, AI-integrated redesign, AI-first. Which process gets which treatment, in which order, with which budget. The design tool for this is CLEAR.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"omx-p\" data-k=\"D06\" hidden=\"\"><span class=\"eyebrow\">D06 \u00b7 Guardrails<\/span><h3>Capabilities<\/h3><p class=\"omx-en\">Capabilities &amp; Culture<\/p><p class=\"omx-q\">What does the team need to know?<\/p><p>Learning paths for five audiences, from the C-suite to the front line. Deciding on a high-risk system takes different skills than everyday Copilot use.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"omx-p\" data-k=\"HAI\"><span class=\"eyebrow\">Core<\/span><h3>Human-AI Interface<\/h3><p>The organizational architecture for decisions and accountability when people and AI systems share responsibility for outcomes. For every AI tool it defines who decides, who is accountable, how the system learns and within which limits it works.<\/p><ul class=\"omx-qs\"><li>Who decides?<\/li><li>Who is accountable?<\/li><li>How does the system learn?<\/li><li>Within which limits?<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec dark lit\" aria-labelledby=\"h-hi-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-hi-en\" class=\"ho-in\">The Human-AI Interface<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">The line between people and AI.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><p class=\"lead ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\">Every AI deployment creates a line: the point where human judgment ends and AI acts. Where that line sits, how it is governed and who answers for the outcome is a question of organization design.<\/p><\/div>\n      <ol class=\"hiq\"><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:0\"><span class=\"n\">Q1<\/span><h3>Who decides?<\/h3><p>Who may accept AI output as a basis for action, at which autonomy level and under which conditions.<\/p><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\"><span class=\"n\">Q2<\/span><h3>Who is accountable?<\/h3><p>Even when AI has acted, accountability stays with a person. It cannot be handed to a model.<\/p><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:2\"><span class=\"n\">Q3<\/span><h3>How does the system learn?<\/h3><p>Whose judgment improves the system, how errors are detected and signals are captured.<\/p><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:3\"><span class=\"n\">Q4<\/span><h3>Within which limits?<\/h3><p>Under which conditions AI may work without review, and which triggers bring a person back in.<\/p><\/li><\/ol>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec\" aria-labelledby=\"h-au-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-au-en\" class=\"ho-in\">Four autonomy levels<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">A design decision per decision type.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><p class=\"lead ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\">Every decision type involving AI sits on one of four levels. The level has consequences for cost and capability, so it is set deliberately.<\/p><\/div>\n      <div class=\"aut ho-in\" id=\"aut-en\" data-l=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"aut-tabs\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Four autonomy levels\"><button type=\"button\" data-l=\"1\" aria-pressed=\"true\"><em>L1<\/em><b>Critical consumer<\/b><\/button><button type=\"button\" data-l=\"2\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><em>L2<\/em><b>Supervised executor<\/b><\/button><button type=\"button\" data-l=\"3\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><em>L3<\/em><b>Monitored autonomous<\/b><\/button><button type=\"button\" data-l=\"4\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><em>L4<\/em><b>Human-in-the-exception<\/b><\/button><\/div>\n        <div class=\"aut-fig\"><svg class=\"aut-svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 600 170\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path class=\"aut-line\" d=\"M50 122H550\"><\/path><path class=\"aut-c h0\" d=\"M50 50V108\"><\/path><circle class=\"aut-h h0\" cx=\"50\" cy=\"40\" r=\"11\"><\/circle><path class=\"aut-c h1\" d=\"M150 50V108\"><\/path><circle class=\"aut-h h1\" cx=\"150\" cy=\"40\" r=\"11\"><\/circle><path class=\"aut-c h2\" d=\"M250 50V108\"><\/path><circle class=\"aut-h h2\" cx=\"250\" cy=\"40\" r=\"11\"><\/circle><path class=\"aut-c h3\" d=\"M350 50V108\"><\/path><circle class=\"aut-h h3\" cx=\"350\" cy=\"40\" r=\"11\"><\/circle><path class=\"aut-c h4\" d=\"M450 50V108\"><\/path><circle class=\"aut-h h4\" cx=\"450\" cy=\"40\" r=\"11\"><\/circle><path class=\"aut-c h5\" d=\"M550 50V108\"><\/path><circle class=\"aut-h h5\" cx=\"550\" cy=\"40\" r=\"11\"><\/circle><rect class=\"aut-mon\" x=\"38\" y=\"30\" width=\"524\" height=\"20\" rx=\"10\"><\/rect><rect class=\"aut-ai\" x=\"38\" y=\"110\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"5\"><\/rect><rect class=\"aut-ai\" x=\"138\" y=\"110\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"5\"><\/rect><rect class=\"aut-ai\" x=\"238\" y=\"110\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"5\"><\/rect><rect class=\"aut-ai x\" x=\"338\" y=\"110\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"5\"><\/rect><rect class=\"aut-ai\" x=\"438\" y=\"110\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"5\"><\/rect><rect class=\"aut-ai\" x=\"538\" y=\"110\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" rx=\"5\"><\/rect><path class=\"aut-exc\" d=\"M350 50V108\"><\/path><circle class=\"aut-exc\" cx=\"350\" cy=\"40\" r=\"11\"><\/circle><path class=\"aut-bang\" d=\"M350 34V41M350 45V46\"><\/path><\/svg><div class=\"aut-txt\"><p data-l=\"1\">AI recommends, people decide every time.<\/p><p data-l=\"2\" hidden=\"\">AI executes, people review samples and handle exceptions.<\/p><p data-l=\"3\" hidden=\"\">AI runs continuously within policy, people monitor at system level.<\/p><p data-l=\"4\" hidden=\"\">AI orchestrates multi-step workflows, people step in on escalations.<\/p><\/div>\n          <ul class=\"aut-leg\"><li><i class=\"k-ai\"><\/i>AI executes<\/li><li><i class=\"k-hu\"><\/i>Person reviews<\/li><li><i class=\"k-mon\"><\/i>System-level monitoring<\/li><li><i class=\"k-exc\"><\/i>Escalation<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec rule-top\" aria-labelledby=\"h-ma-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-ma-en\" class=\"ho-in\">Four maturity stages<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">Measured per domain.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><p class=\"lead ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\">An organization\u2019s maturity follows from how all six domains are designed. The white paper also describes which domains move first on the way to the next stage.<\/p><\/div>\n      <ol class=\"mat ho-in\"><li style=\"--i:0\"><span class=\"n\">Stage 0<\/span><b>Unstructured<\/b><\/li><li style=\"--i:1\"><span class=\"n\">Stage 1<\/span><b>Augmented<\/b><\/li><li style=\"--i:2\"><span class=\"n\">Stage 2<\/span><b>Embedded<\/b><\/li><li style=\"--i:3\"><span class=\"n\">Stage 3<\/span><b>Agentic<\/b><\/li><\/ol>\n      <p class=\"ho-in\" style=\"margin-top:2rem\"><a class=\"lnk\" href=\"\/?page_id=3441\">AI maturity check, 10 minutes<\/a><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec rule-top\" aria-labelledby=\"h-te-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-te-en\" class=\"ho-in\">Technology second<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">Deliberately without a technology domain.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><p class=\"lead ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\">Technology is a precondition for everything the model describes: strategy needs data, governance needs monitoring, decision rights need logs. We address these preconditions in every project, together with our partners. They belong in procurement, IT architecture and platform strategy.<\/p><\/div>\n      <div class=\"teq\"><div class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:0\"><span class=\"eyebrow\">Belongs on the procurement agenda<\/span><p>Which LLM platform do we use?<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ho-in on\" style=\"--i:1\"><span class=\"eyebrow\">Belongs on the organization design agenda<\/span><p>How do we govern the decisions this system makes on our behalf?<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec rule-top\" aria-labelledby=\"h-bo-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-bo-en\" class=\"ho-in\">Three questions<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">For your next board meeting.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div>\n      <ol class=\"vals vals3\"><li class=\"val ho-in\" style=\"--i:0\"><span class=\"n\">Q01 \u00b7 Decision architecture<\/span><h3>Are your autonomy levels formally set?<\/h3><p>For which decision types is it defined at which level AI may operate, and who approved that assignment?<\/p><\/li><li class=\"val ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\"><span class=\"n\">Q02 \u00b7 Governance<\/span><h3>Do you know who is accountable for which system?<\/h3><p>Who is registered as AI owner and AI steward for each AI system in production, and how often is this reviewed?<\/p><\/li><li class=\"val ho-in\" style=\"--i:2\"><span class=\"n\">Q03 \u00b7 Process architecture<\/span><h3>Which core process was redesigned?<\/h3><p>Which core process was fully redesigned for AI, and where does AI only sit as an overlay on the existing flow?<\/p><\/li><\/ol>\n      <div class=\"nx3\"><a class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:0\" href=\"\/?page_id=4895\"><span>Working with the model<\/span><b>AI Roadmap &amp; Operating Model<\/b><span class=\"ar\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><a class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\" href=\"\/?page_id=4904\"><span>Designing processes (D05)<\/span><b>CLEAR Framework<\/b><span class=\"ar\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><a class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:2\" href=\"\/en\/#methode-en\"><span>Our approach<\/span><b>Diagnose, design, deliver<\/b><span class=\"ar\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home\/Insights\/AI Operating Model HandsOn AI Operating Model. Two layers. Six domains. One core. The model describes how an organization has to be built for AI to work in it. It carries Galbraith\u2019s Star Model, the center-led structures of Kates and Kesler and Worren\u2019s axiomatic design into the context of AI. Watch the film \u2192Read the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1690,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"hide","_kad_post_layout":"fullwidth","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"unboxed","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"hide","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4903","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4903"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4903\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4985,"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4903\/revisions\/4985"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}