---
title: Target Operating Model
description: Define the governance, responsibilities, platform capabilities, and improvement model required for stable cloud operations on STACKIT.
hero:
    tagline: The Target Operating Model translates your cloud strategy and STACKIT landing zone into an accountable, repeatable operating model.
    illustration:
        name: product
        position: left
sidebar:
    label: Overview
    order: 0
source_url: "https://framework.stackit.cloud/migration/design-and-mobilize/operating-model/overview/"
source_file: "docs/migration/design-and-mobilize/operating-model/overview.mdx"
---

## Purpose

The Target Operating Model (TOM) defines how an organization operates its cloud environment after
migration. It turns the technical foundations provided by the STACKIT landing zone into clear
ownership, repeatable processes, and measurable outcomes.

The model covers the responsibilities shared by platform teams, workload teams, security,
service management, and business stakeholders. It should be designed before migration waves start
and refined as workloads move into operation.

## TOM capability areas

<CardGrid>
    <Card title="Governance and decision making">
        Establish decision rights, architecture and security review forums, exception handling, and an
        escalation model. See [Governance and Decision Making](/migration/design-and-mobilize/operating-model/governance-and-decision-making/).
    </Card>
    <Card title="Roles and responsibilities">
        Define accountable ownership across platform, application, security, FinOps, and service
        management teams. See [Roles and Responsibilities](/migration/design-and-mobilize/operating-model/roles-and-responsibilities/).
    </Card>
    <Card title="Service management and operations">
        Make incident, change, problem, request, support, and handover processes operational. See
        [Service Management and Operations](/migration/design-and-mobilize/operating-model/service-management-and-operations/).
    </Card>
    <Card title="Platform team and enablement">
        Operate the STACKIT platform foundation as an internal product with reusable guardrails and
        self-service paths. See [Platform Team and Enablement](/migration/design-and-mobilize/operating-model/platform-team-and-enablement/).
    </Card>
    <Card title="Skills and change management">
        Build the capabilities, adoption practices, and communication routines needed for new cloud
        responsibilities. See [Skills and Change Management](/migration/design-and-mobilize/operating-model/skills-and-change-management/).
    </Card>
    <Card title="Measurement and continuous improvement">
        Use reliability, delivery, security, and cost signals to improve platform and workload
        operations. See [Measurement and Continuous Improvement](/migration/design-and-mobilize/operating-model/measurement-and-continuous-improvement/).
    </Card>
</CardGrid>

## Relationship to the landing zone

The landing zone provides technical guardrails for identity, networking, security, cost control,
and automation. The TOM assigns who owns those guardrails, who consumes them, and how changes,
exceptions, and operational risks are managed. It does not replace the provider responsibilities
defined for STACKIT services; it defines the customer-side operating model for the configured
platform and migrated workloads.

## Connected framework guidance

Use the TOM to connect the following detailed guidance into one operational model:

- [Landing Zones](/migration/design-and-mobilize/landing-zones/overview/) defines the technical platform foundation and guardrails.
- [Account Governance](/migration/design-and-mobilize/landing-zones/account-governance/) defines customer account, folder, project, and delegation boundaries.
- [Cost Management and Control](/migration/design-and-mobilize/landing-zones/cost-management-and-control/) provides the cost-allocation, budgeting, and FinOps practices that the TOM assigns to accountable roles.
- [Security and Compliance: Operating Model and Governance](/migration/design-and-mobilize/security-and-compliance/operating-model-and-governance/) defines control ownership and the required security checkpoints.
- [Migration Factory: Runbook Readiness and Handover](/migration/design-and-mobilize/migration-factory-setup/runbook-readiness/) defines the wave-level operational handover package.
- [Enablement](/migration/design-and-mobilize/enablement/overview/) provides the learning and reference material that supports adoption of the target model.

## Implementation sequence

<Steps>

1. Assess the current operating model, existing support processes, skills, and accountability gaps.
2. Define the target responsibilities, decision rights, and interfaces for the STACKIT platform and workload teams.
3. Align service management processes, support boundaries, and handover criteria with the first migration waves.
4. Establish the platform product model, enablement paths, and operational documentation.
5. Measure adoption and operational outcomes, then refine the model as migration waves progress.

</Steps>

## Related assets

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