Real enterprise automation success isn’t just about what happens inside the software. It’s about the operating environment around it.
When teams start automating documents with Smarter Drafter Pro, the first thing they see is how easy it is to build: no-code tools, structured eForms, conditional logic, and perfectly formatted outputs. But real enterprise automation success isn’t just about what happens inside the software. It’s about the operating environment around it.
That’s why we developed the Smarter Drafter Pro Target Operating Model (TOM) - a practical framework that shows how large organisations can scale document automation in a structured, secure and sustainable way. It covers the full lifecycle: people, process, governance, training, release management, maintenance, and performance measurement.
It’s the difference between building a few isolated automations and building a strategic capability.
Below is a quick preview.
A dedicated Automation Centre of Excellence
The TOM starts with structure. It outlines how a central team acts as the organisation’s authority on automation: knowledge sharing, training, standards, QA, and governance. This ensures consistency as automation expands to new business units.
A clear, defensible decision framework
Demand will always outweigh capacity. The TOM introduces a prioritisation model that weighs business value, strategic alignment, pain points, technical difficulty and risk. It also outlines a risk-assessment approach so every automation is delivered safely and predictably.
Defined roles, even if they’re combined in smaller teams
The document introduces core roles such as the Head of Document Automation, Automation Builder, Document Process Representative, User Advocate, Test & Release Analyst and IT Lead. These aren’t job titles, they’re responsibilities that ensure quality and control at scale.
End-to-end processes that go beyond “build and publish”
The TOM walks through the full flow: defining requirements, integrating data sources, designing logic, testing components, simulating real scenarios, managing releases and supporting users after go-live. This alone helps organisations move from “we can build” to “we can scale”. (There’s a helpful visual workflow in the full document.)
IT & information governance alignment
It explains where automation fits in an enterprise security model: authentication, network configuration, user provisioning, retention rules, access controls, and how to manage cloud/on-premise hybrid environments. This section is especially valuable for regulated industries.
Performance metrics that prove ROI
Finally, the TOM outlines KPIs that matter: accuracy, processing time, throughput, adoption, cost savings, training effectiveness, integration success and internal feedback loops. It helps teams move from anecdotal wins to measurable operational improvement.
Many organisations start document automation with enthusiasm but stall because they haven’t defined how the work will be prioritised, governed or maintained. Without that framework, quality varies, business units go their own way, and IT struggles to manage risk.
The Target Operating Model solves that. It brings governance and structure without slowing down innovation. It gives senior leadership confidence that automation is being rolled out safely. And it gives end-users a consistent experience, regardless of which team built the automation.
The full document goes deeper, including visuals, detailed role descriptions, testing models, release processes, support guidelines and governance checklists. It’s designed as a practical guide for any enterprise looking to scale automation effectively.
If you’re thinking about document automation beyond isolated use cases, or you’re ready to expand a pilot into a firm-wide program, this is a valuable blueprint.
👉 Download the full Smarter Drafter Pro Target Operating Model