A breakdown of each module is provided by selecting the associated pillar in the tiles underneath the picture at the top of the page.

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The Enterprise Mission Control Centre

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At TOSMS, our vision is for each of our clients to have a bespoke Enterprise Mission Control Centre for boardroom and executive team governance of their enterprise mission. We like to use the analogy of the NASA Mission Control Centre created to manage the many space exploration programmes it has undertaken over the years. Our passion is helping forward-thinking clients understand the long term value of having a groundbreaking, bespoke, engineered solution in the form of a mission control capability that makes it possible for boards and executive teams to govern as optimally as possible under any future threats.

 

A few things to think about when considering this engineered solution for the board and executive teams of vast, hugely complex enterprises:

 

• Would you get onboard an airbus that had no cockpit - an absurd thought! The minute that aircraft started up its engines it would be out of control. At TOSMS, we are of the firm belief that the boards and executive teams of major corporations that have not invested in something equivalent to the sophistication of an airbus cockpit, the bridge of a supertanker or the mission control of a space exploration programme are out of control. That means the vast majority, if not all, major corporations are not where they should be when it comes to governance. The problem: governing bodies don't know what they don't know. Would it be the fault of the pilot, the skipper or the astronaut if there were no controls in place? Of course not. Those instrument panels go way beyond their areas of expertise. They trust that the engineers delivered what they need and much more.

 

• Taking that analogy and applying it to the vast, hugely complex enterprises, it is possible that board and executive team members could refuse to take the job given a clear absence of controls and a history of many corporate failures, but we know there are many reasons other than the obvious need to protect lives, shareholder interests, livelihoods of staff, etc. that these roles get filled.

 

• There are two upsides: the one is that there is a body of expertise that did not build these enterprises that board and executive team members are responsible for driving, but, like the experts who came together to build the controls for airbusses, supertankers and space programmes, are looking at this as the next major evolution in governance of these organisations and are passionate about helping those that steer them. The second upside is that what we thought we had no control over in the past is fast changing, so we need to consider new paradigms and move away from doing the same things we have always done at board and executive team level and expecting a different result. Structures, practices and standards need to change along with the automation that is core to a properly functioning EMCC. Technology today has the processing capability to achieve this.

 

• Do we leave it in the hands of the governing bodies and company secretaries of these organisations to create such a mission control? Of course not! They would have an input but the nuts and bolts of what needs to be provided and how it needs to be configured, integrated and delivered at the right level, at the right time, in the right place and in the right manner, would be in the hands of many different specialist across the various levels and fields of expertise in the organisation and externally. Is that collaboration happening as the task of governing becomes increasingly challenging in today's world - our guess is probably not, which is where TOSMS is passionate about making a difference.

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• For a complete and balanced view that enables the board and executive team to govern effectively and efficiently across all the functions of a major corporation, we at TOSMS have identified seven major pillars that require to be fully integrated and automated - using data at the most finite level of input-process-output detail to the most strategic, with a golden thread between the two for comprehensive evidence based information mangement at the top level in the organisation. The exponential growth in generative AI adds to the complexity of this requirement, where the understanding of the source of data and its processing is essential for sound judgement on what the boards and executive teams of the future will be highly dependent on for decision-making.

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​It is a mistake to think that all clients have the same set of data elements driving the processing capability of their EMCC. The major organisations that TOSMS have devoted their time helping over the past 30 years are far too complex to think that a standard set of frameworks or off-the-shelf applications will work.

 

That is where consulting companies that just provide generic models and frameworks for their clients fall short. TOSMS has the Integrated Governance Framework and various supporting models like the Three Lines of Assurance, but we would be doing our clients a significant disservice if we did not back this with substantial specifications covering the practices and standards, along with the functionality required for the digitisation, integration and automation of these details.

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We have spent 15 years developing this specification so that our clients can readily dive into the detail and customise at a granular level what is needed for their EMCC.

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The TOSMS Integrated Governance Framework defines the business architecture for governance of the enterprise. Now to look beyond this at the physical infrastructure envisaged by TOSMS for delivering the IGF.

 

The EMCC has a specialist team for ensuring the integrity of its design, infrastructure, data and processing, and reports to the chair of the board. Just like the cockpit of an airbus, bridge of a supertanker or mission control centre for space exploration programmes, the EMCC design involves a combination of various specialist areas to ensure the successful planning, execution, and monitoring of the company's mission by the board and executive team. Some key areas of expertise required for the design of the centre include:

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• Organisation Design:

Understanding the levels of work and workbreakdown structures of the enterprise.

Knowledge of the business operating models made up of PRSRs (processes, records, systems and roles).

• Systems Engineering:

Integration of various subsystems and components.

System architecture design and optimization.

• Communication Systems:

Design of communication protocols and systems.

Understanding of cloud-based communication technology such as voice, video conferencing and messaging.

• Computer Science and Software Engineering:

Development of mission-critical software for data analysis and control using the Integrated Governance Framework.

Systems programming for real time online response.

• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI):

Designing user interfaces for efficient and effective decision-making.

Human factors and ergonomics for console design.

• Enterprise Mission Planning and Operations:

Strategic planning for mission objectives and goals.

Operational procedures and protocols.

• Instrumentation and Control Systems:

Design and implementation of control systems across all operating models.

Measurement integration and calibration.

• Data Analysis and Visualization:

Processing and analyzing large volumes of data in real-time.

Visualization tools for data interpretation.

• Security and Cybersecurity:

Ensuring the integrity and security of enterprise mission control data.

Protection against cyber threats.

• Logistics and Supply Chain Management:

Coordination of resources and supplies for EMCC operations.

Planning for contingencies and unexpected events.

• Risk Management:

Identifying potential risks and developing strategies for risk mitigation.

Contingency planning for various scenarios.

• Environmental Science:

Understanding environmental conditions and their potential impact on the long term sustainability of the enterprise mission.

Monitoring and predicting environmental conditions.

• Emergency Response and Crisis Management:

Developing procedures for handling emergencies and unexpected situations.

Training personnel for crisis response.

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These areas collectively contribute to the successful design and operation of an an engineered solution for an Enterprise Mission Control Center, where teams of experts across the different operating models in the enterprise work together with EMCC engineers to ensure the success of the enterprise mission, with oversight by the board and excutive team. The multidisciplinary nature of these specialties reflects the complexity and sophistication required to govern a major and highly complex enterprise.

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TOSMS are here to help clients consider the new paradigms that this thinking will introduce and to support them as they navigate their way through the complexities that will need to be solved on a journey of self-discovery that will herald a new and sustainable governance capability for the board and executive team.