In the capability model, senior managers are predominantly concerned with issues about the quality of products and services provided to customers (external and internal), the flow of value-added work, and roles and responsibilities. The dominant view on performance measurement shifts from the traditional focus of actual-vs.-budget to a more balanced model that includes the timeliness, quality, and cost of providing products and services to customers. Allocation and budgeting of resources moves from the traditional practice of individual units vying for resources based on their own needs toward cross-group teams that jointly assess resource needs based on the flow of work needed to create customer value.

Problem solving would seldom involve situations in which unit managers had to compete with each another; instead, organizations would adapt to departmental interdependence, recognizing that issues are best addressed through cross-group problem-solving sessions focused on providing services to customers and the required flow of work.