We are pivoting our business focus from custom enterprise software to a standardized SaaS model. Our current Accountability Chart is built entirely around custom delivery. Do we scrap the chart and start over, or do we slowly morph our seats over the next year?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When you execute a major strategic pivot, trying to slowly morph your existing Accountability Chart is a recipe for failure. You will end up with legacy seats trying to force new, automated processes into old, manual ways of working. This slows down your transition and creates massive internal confusion.

You must scrap the old structure and design a clean, future-focused Accountability Chart from scratch. Start by aligning your leadership team on the new Core Focus and the 3-Year Picture on your V/TO. Once the vision is locked, design the ideal structure required to run a scalable SaaS business, completely ignoring your current staff.

A SaaS business requires very different seats than a custom service agency. You will likely need to replace delivery-focused seats with automated onboarding, product management, and scalable customer success seats. Define the five key roles for each new seat.

Once the ideal chart is built, compare your current team against it. Conduct GWC evaluations for every person to see where they fit in the new model. Some legacy leaders will transition smoothly, while others may no longer fit the new strategic direction. Do not keep people in seats they do not GWC just out of loyalty. Transitioning quickly and cleanly prevents operational drag.