A practical Cloud TOM glossary.
Concise definitions connected to the diagrams where each concept can be applied and challenged.
Cloud Target Operating Model
The intended system of functions, accountabilities, decisions, interfaces, governance and sourcing used to achieve cloud outcomes.
Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE)
A cross-functional cloud governance and enablement capability that maintains guardrails, coordinates decisions and accelerates adoption.
Retained organization
The internal accountabilities and capabilities an enterprise keeps when external providers execute part of the service.
Decision right
The explicit authority to make a recurring decision within a defined scope and threshold.
Governance forum
A recurring decision mechanism with a bounded mandate, chair, participants, inputs, outputs and cadence.
Operational acceptance
The evidence-based decision that a service can be responsibly operated against agreed expectations.
Platform product
A reusable internal platform capability managed around consumer outcomes, adoption, reliability and lifecycle value.
Service owner
The role accountable for the end-to-end outcome, lifecycle and service expectations of a cloud service.
Federated cloud governance
A model that delegates bounded cloud authority to domains while preserving enterprise guardrails and evidence obligations.
Sourcing boundary
The explicit division between responsibilities performed internally, jointly or by an external provider.
Operating-model interface
A directional exchange between two functions, actors or authorities with a defined deliverable and receiver.
FinOps operating model
The accountabilities, decisions and feedback loops used to connect cloud consumption with business value and economic action.