company-operating-system
Company Operating System: A Cross-Industry Management Playbook
Build a company that works — and keeps working. An open-source operating model for founders, CEOs, and operators to connect strategy, governance, operations, people, cash, risk, and decision-making.
19 chapters · 12 industry playbooks · practical checklists and templates · MIT licensed · AI-native organization chapter
Not ERP software. Not a collection of management slogans. A reusable framework you can adapt to your company — and use alongside your ERP, project tools, and knowledge base.
Language note: All 19 chapters are now translated into English (docs/en/). The Chinese-first originals remain in docs/.
中文版 👉 README.md
What you get
- A one-page operating model covering 8 management layers
- 12 industry playbooks with different cost structures, metrics, risks, and moats
- A 6-step implementation path for turning the framework into operating rhythms
- Monthly and annual diagnosis templates, including a scoring card
- A failure case library showing what went wrong and which controls could have helped
- An AI-native organization chapter covering practical AI use across all 8 layers
- A browser-based company diagnosis dashboard
A single operating model connecting strategy, governance, value creation, resources, risk, and decisions.
The Framework
8 Layers
| # | Layer | Core Question | Doc |
|---|---|---|---|
| ① | Strategy: direction → budget → KPIs → review | Where are we going, and how do we correct course? | Strategy, Budget & Review |
| ② | Governance: equity, board, subsidiaries, firewalls | Who decides, and how do we ring-fence risk — especially across borders? | Governance & Risk Firewalls |
| ③ | Value Chain: sales → R&D → planning & material control (PMC) → production → quality → service | How is value created and delivered? | Value Chain |
| ④ | Organization: departments & cross-functional collaboration | How do we break department silos? | Organization & Collaboration |
| ⑤ | Resources: people / finance / materials / data | What powers the business? | Resources: People, Finance, Materials & Data |
| ⑥ | Moat: license, brand, channel, patents, supply chain, org | What makes our advantage difficult to copy? | Moats & Core Value |
| ⑦ | Risk & Compliance: industry risk maps / internal control / audit / crisis | How do we remain resilient under operational and external shocks? | Risk, Compliance & Crisis Management |
| ⑧ | Decision Engine: CEO decision-making under uncertainty | How do we make good decisions with incomplete information? | CEO Decision Engine |
3 Cross-cutting Threads
| Thread | Content | Doc |
|---|---|---|
| 🕐 Time | Startup → Growth → Maturity → Transformation | Company Lifecycle |
| 🧊 People | Iceberg model (skills above, values below) | People Iceberg Model |
| 🏭 Industry | 12 industries: cost structure, key metrics, moats, risks | Industry Playbooks |
Additional resources
| Resource | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Implementation Checklist | 6-step implementation path and monthly diagnosis template |
| Open-Source Tools & References | Open-source company OS, ERP, and management methodology resources |
| Failure Case Library | Failure patterns mapped to defensive controls |
| Management Diagnosis Templates | Monthly and annual operating reviews |
| Launch & Distribution Guide | Practical guidance for sharing and extending the project |
| Operately Deployment Review | Hands-on Operately deployment review with screenshots, setup notes, and trade-offs |
| AI-Native Organization | AI-native organization: practices across all 8 layers, three operating models, a four-step adoption path, and AI governance |
| Matrix Coupling | 7 matrices showing how the layers interact |
| Diagnosis Dashboard | Interactive eight-dimension assessment tool — try it live: open |
How this fits with other tools
| If you need… | Consider… | What this project adds |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting, inventory, purchasing, or ERP workflows | Odoo / ERPNext | The management model for deciding what the system should support |
| Goals, projects, and team execution | Operately | The cross-functional operating context around those activities |
| A governance constitution | Holacracy | Broader coverage of strategy, value creation, resources, risk, and decisions |
| Flexible notes, databases, and a company wiki | Notion | A structured operating framework rather than a blank workspace |
| A cross-industry management playbook | This repository | 8 layers, 3 cross-cutting threads, 12 industries, and implementation tools |
To our knowledge, most open-source management projects focus on one layer — ERP transactions, team execution, or governance. This project connects the full chain from strategy to operations, resources, risk, people, and decisions.
Choose your starting point
| You are… | Start here |
|---|---|
| A founder or CEO making high-stakes decisions | CEO Decision Engine → Implementation Checklist |
| Building a management system | Strategy, Budget & Review, then work through the 8 layers |
| Writing a company handbook | Open-Source Tools & References |
| Diagnosing an existing business | Management Diagnosis Templates → Diagnosis Dashboard |
The 6-step implementation path
| Step | Action | First output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calculate true gross margin by product and customer | One-page product profitability report |
| 2 | Set the budget and approval matrix | Delegation-of-authority table |
| 3 | Establish the monthly operating and quarterly strategy review rhythm | Recurring meeting calendar |
| 4 | Protect critical roles with A/B coverage and succession plans | Critical-role register |
| 5 | Set red lines: cash runway, customer concentration, and policy-change scenarios | Scenario response plan |
| 6 | Improve continuously by exiting at least one unprofitable business line each year | Annual portfolio review |
Why star this project?
Star it if you want a reusable reference for building or reviewing a company management system. It helps this framework reach founders and operators who are currently piecing together strategy, ERP, OKRs, governance, and risk controls from unrelated sources.
⭐ If this framework is useful — or if you want to help shape the English edition — please star the repository and open an issue with your industry or use case.
FAQ
Is this software? No. It is an open-source management framework and set of practical operating resources. Use it alongside your ERP, project-management, and knowledge-base tools.
Who is it for? Founders, CEOs, operations leaders, and teams building or repairing a company management system.
Does it work for small companies? Yes. Start with the decision engine, true gross-margin analysis, approval rules, and a monthly operating review.
Is the project fully translated into English? Not yet. This README provides an English overview; the source chapters are currently Chinese-first. English translation contributions are welcome.
Where should I start? Use the 6-step implementation path, or begin with the CEO Decision Engine.
Project status
Available now: the 8-layer framework, 12 industry playbooks, implementation checklist, failure case library, diagnosis templates, Operately review, AI-native organization chapter, matrix coupling chapter, and interactive diagnosis dashboard.
Next: full English chapter translations, decision-method templates, an Operately/ERPNext deployment guide, and Notion/Feishu templates.
Contributions are especially welcome from manufacturing, cross-border trade, SaaS, and other industry operators.
License
MIT License · © 2026 Levi & Vex
⭐ Found this useful? Star the repository so more operators can find it.