Leanophiles know that all organizations have value streams... the sequence of operations that creates value, and generally some tag-along waste, for the customer. A known effective organizational structure is one aligned along those value streams. So what value streams does an internet company like Yahoo have? Delivering search value, advertising value, interactive social networking value? We may never truly find out.
Not yet six weeks into the job, Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Carol Bartz is preparing a company-wide reorganization that underscores the new CEO's belief in a more top-down managerial approach.
The plan aims to speed-up decision-making and give Yahoo products a more consistent appearance by consolidating certain functions that have previously been spread out across the company -- like product development and marketing -- into single, standalone departments, people familiar with the matter say.
Now I don't know the specifics, but I can hypothesize on them. That's my right, even if I'm wrong. So I'm guessing that there will now be a single marketing entity responsible for selling rather disparate products, a single development organization responsible for new products touching radically different types of customers. It doesn't stop there.
But of course all customers from all countries want the same thing! Hmmm... Behold, the silos!
Good luck, Yahoo.