Company restructuring strategies guide 2026: Strategy, visual planning & real-world examples

Summary

What you'll learn in this guide:

• Why 70% of restructuring efforts fail — and how visual collaboration increases success rates to 70-79%
• The 4 core types of company restructuring (organizational, financial, operational, and strategic) with real examples from Apple, GM, Nike, and Google
• A proven 7-phase restructuring framework from assessment through optimization
• How JB Hi-Fi completed a marketplace transformation in 9 months instead of 2 years using Miro
• Essential tools, templates, and metrics for managing complex transformation across people, processes, and technology
• Why AI transformation is driving urgent operational restructuring needs in 2025

Scattered spreadsheets. Endless email chains. Siloed departments that can’t see how their work connects to the bigger picture. When your company needs restructuring, these disconnected tools make an already challenging process feel impossible.

There’s a better way to restructure a business. Imagine if every stakeholder, from the C-suite to department leads, could see the entire transformation roadmap on one shared canvas. Organizational charts, timelines, stakeholder maps, and communication plans would all connect in real time. Corporate restructuring would become a transparent, collaborative effort instead of a top-down directive that causes resistance.

This is where Miro’s innovation workspace changes how organizations approach company restructuring. You’re not just moving boxes on an org chart. You’re managing complex change across people, processes, technology, and culture, and you need a workspace that brings all these elements together visually.

What is company restructuring? Understanding the fundamentals

Company restructuring is a strategic overhaul of how your organization operates, whether that means changing reporting structures, consolidating departments, realigning business models, or rethinking your operational approach. Unlike minor organizational adjustments, restructuring is a significant, intentional change designed to address specific business challenges or take advantage of new opportunities.

The current state of corporate restructuring (2024-2025)

We’re seeing unprecedented restructuring activity. Economic pressures from inflation and rising interest rates are forcing companies to optimize operations. The shift to hybrid work has permanently changed how organizations think about team structures and collaboration. AI and automation are creating new roles while making others obsolete, requiring operational restructuring across entire departments.

According to McKinsey research on organizational transformations, while 70% of transformation efforts fail to meet their objectives, organizations that engage employees early through collaborative planning and ensure frontline staff feel ownership achieve success rates of 70-79%. The difference? Teams that can see how individual changes connect to the broader transformation understand the “why” behind restructuring — dramatically reducing resistance.

Why companies restructure: Beyond financial distress

Not all company restructuring happens during a crisis. Growth-driven restructuring helps scale operations when your current structure can’t support expansion. Market shifts require strategic realignment, such as traditional retailers adding e-commerce capabilities or B2B companies launching direct-to-consumer channels. Technology transformation often requires new organizational models, especially when implementing AI, cloud migrations, or digital-first strategies.

AI transformation has become an urgent reason for operational restructuring. According to Miro’s 2025 Momentum at Work research, knowledge workers spend three hours on maintenance work (meetings, emails, administrative tasks) for every one hour of strategic momentum work. Organizations that implement AI realize they need to restructure workflows, remove redundant processes, and reorganize teams around AI-augmented capabilities. The research found that 39% of knowledge workers agree that failing to embrace AI leads to more maintenance work, which creates pressure to restructure operations before competitors do. This isn’t just about adding AI tools; it means rethinking how teams collaborate, how information moves between silos, and how organizations measure productivity in an AI-enhanced environment.

The 4 core types of company restructuring

1. Organizational restructuring

Organizational restructuring reshapes reporting lines, departmental boundaries, and team structures. You might consolidate overlapping departments, flatten hierarchies to speed decision-making, or create centers of excellence to centralize specialized expertise.

Example in action: When Apple underwent organizational restructuring following Jony Ive’s departure in 2019, design team leaders Evans Hankey and Alan Dye took over reporting to COO Jeff Williams, fundamentally reshaping how design integrated with the broader organization. Visual collaboration became critical for mapping dependencies between hardware, software, and services teams.

Using Miro for organizational restructuring: Create dynamic org charts where you can drag and drop teams, visualize reporting structures, and map out “before” and “after” scenarios side-by-side. Stakeholders can comment directly on proposed changes, flagging concerns before implementation.

Try the Organizational Change Map Template

2. Financial restructuring

Financial restructuring addresses debt obligations, capital structure, and asset allocation. This can include debt-to-equity conversions, asset divestitures, or, in severe cases, bankruptcy proceedings. The goal is to restore financial health and sustainable cash flow.

Example in action: General Motors’ 2009 bankruptcy restructuring required coordinating negotiations with creditors, unions, government entities, and suppliers simultaneously. The U.S. government took a 60% stake, the UAW received 17.5%, and unsecured creditors held 10%. Visual stakeholder mapping proved essential for managing these complex relationships during the largest industrial bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Visual planning for financial restructuring: Map cash flow scenarios, visualize debt restructuring timelines, and create stakeholder communication plans that show who needs what information when. Financial models connect directly to operational changes on one unified canvas.

3. Operational restructuring

Operational restructuring optimizes how work gets done. Process reengineering eliminates inefficiencies. Supply chain optimization reduces costs and improves delivery. Technology implementation modernizes systems. Automation integration transforms workflows.

Example in action: Nike’s Consumer Direct Offense restructuring streamlined product development by organizing teams around consumer categories (Running, Basketball, Nike Sportswear) and focusing on 12 key cities globally. The company shifted from six geographic regions to four, consolidated geography and marketplace functions, and cut product creation cycle times in half. Process mapping in visual workspaces helped teams understand how workflows would change across the new structure.

Miro for operational restructuring: Map current-state processes, identify bottlenecks, design future-state workflows, and create implementation roadmaps. Teams can collaboratively redesign processes, test scenarios, and document the operational changes visually.

4. Strategic restructuring

Strategic restructuring transforms your business model. Product portfolio rationalization focuses resources on profitable offerings. Market repositioning targets new customer segments. M&A integration combines acquired companies. Spin-offs separate business units.

Example in action: When Google restructured into Alphabet in 2015, they needed to clearly articulate how subsidiary companies (Waymo, Calico, Nest, Verily, Google X) would operate independently while maintaining strategic alignment with the core Google business. The restructuring separated Google’s core internet products from moonshot investments, creating clearer financial accountability. Visual strategy canvases helped communicate the new structure to thousands of employees and demonstrate how each business unit connected to Alphabet’s overall mission.

Strategic planning in Miro: Use strategy frameworks to evaluate business units, map competitive positioning, design new business models, and create transformation roadmaps. Link strategic decisions directly to organizational and operational changes.

Real-world success: How JB Hi-Fi completed transformation in 9 months instead of 2 years

JB Hi-Fi, one of Australia’s leading consumer electronics retailers, faced a strategic restructuring challenge. Customers wanted specialized gaming products such as high-end gaming PCs, specialized graphics cards, and niche equipment, which traditional retail models couldn’t support efficiently. The solution was to launch a marketplace model that connected customers with hundreds of specialized vendors.

This was more than just adding a feature. It required rethinking vendor relationships, demand planning processes, customer experience, system architecture, and business fundamentals. They needed to integrate with Shopify and Mirakl, onboard hundreds of small business vendors, and coordinate changes across engineering teams, business intelligence, product management, and external partners.

The challenge: Orchestrating complexity

Duc Vu, General Manager of IT Engineering, explained the scope: “The challenge wasn’t just changing our retail website. We had to reimagine vendor relationships, demand planning, customer experience, system architecture, and business fundamentals. How do you orchestrate that level of complexity and keep everyone aligned?”

With hundreds of moving pieces across technical systems, vendor onboarding, customer journeys, and financial models, traditional project management approaches wouldn’t scale. Different teams had different planning processes. How do you maintain alignment when everyone works differently?

The solution: Miro as the transformation blueprint

JB Hi-Fi’s team had already invested in Miro as their innovation workspace. The marketplace transformation would test their collaborative capability to its limits. Miro became the central blueprint workspace that made program management exponentially easier — creating one place where discovery, high-level strategy, and detailed execution could all connect.

During discovery, the team used Miro to map the complete customer journey. Business analysts shared demand planning insights. Engineers outlined technical requirements. Product managers synthesized customer needs. All in one visual space that everyone could understand.

The project manager used a single large Miro board as the central hub directing different workstreams. Technical diagrams for system integration sat alongside vendor onboarding flows. Shopify and Mirakl partnership requirements connected directly to internal roadmap planning. Financial models linked to customer experience wireframes.

“The visual nature of Miro created a feedback loop between engineers and business stakeholders,” Duc explained. “When everyone could see how their work connected, the canvas became our collaboration forum. One workspace orchestrated hundreds of moving pieces.”

The results: 9 months instead of 2 years

JB Hi-Fi completed the large marketplace transformation in nine months, a project that would usually take traditional retailers about two years. They successfully onboarded hundreds of vendors and completely reinvented their retail model.

The speed was more than just efficiency; it was a competitive advantage. By managing the entire transformation on Miro’s canvas, where discovery, strategy, and execution came together, JB Hi-Fi removed the coordination challenges that slow down complex programs. Teams stayed aligned because everyone could see the full picture while focusing on their own work.

“Having the right innovation workspace turned complex transformation into collaborative success,” Duc reflected. “Miro became our blueprint where technical systems, customer journeys, and business models all connected in one visual space that everyone could understand.”

Read the complete JB Hi-Fi case study

The 7-phase company restructuring framework

Phase 1: Assessment & diagnosis (Weeks 1-3)

Start with comprehensive assessment. Run SWOT analysis specifically for restructuring. Audit organizational capabilities. Review financial health indicators. Assess technology infrastructure.

In Miro: Create a restructuring diagnostic canvas where stakeholders can contribute insights asynchronously. Use voting features to identify priority concerns. Map current-state organizational structures and processes.

Use the Change Management Landscape Template

Phase 2: Stakeholder alignment (Weeks 2-4)

Map all stakeholders affected by restructuring. Identify concerns, resistance points, and champions. Develop communication strategies for each stakeholder group. Secure board and executive approval.

In Miro: Build stakeholder maps showing influence and impact levels. Create communication cascades showing who communicates what, when, to whom. Document stakeholder concerns and mitigation strategies visually.

Try the Stakeholder Analysis Workshop Template

Phase 3: Strategy development (Weeks 4-8)

Design multiple restructuring scenarios. Run cost-benefit analysis for each option. Assess risks and develop mitigation plans. Create integrated change management strategy.

In Miro: Use scenario planning boards to visualize different restructuring options side-by-side. Link financial implications directly to organizational changes. Build risk assessment matrices with clear ownership.

Explore the Six Change Plans Template

Phase 4: Detailed planning (Weeks 8-12)

Create comprehensive implementation timeline. Allocate resources and budget. Complete legal and compliance review. Finalize all documentation.

In Miro: Build Gantt charts showing dependencies between workstreams. Create resource allocation views. Link compliance requirements directly to implementation tasks. Make the entire plan transparent and accessible.

Phase 5: Communication & engagement (Ongoing)

Launch employee town halls. Develop comprehensive FAQs. Run leadership alignment sessions. Maintain transparent, ongoing communication.

In Miro: Plan town halls on collaborative boards. Co-create FAQs with input from affected teams. Design visual presentations that make complex changes understandable. Create feedback loops that capture employee concerns in real-time.

Use the Theory of Change Template

Phase 6: Execution & implementation (Months 3-12)

Execute phased rollout. Identify and communicate quick wins. Run pilot programs before full deployment. Build course correction mechanisms.

In Miro: Track implementation progress on visual dashboards. Highlight quick wins to maintain momentum. Document lessons learned from pilots. Adjust plans collaboratively as new information emerges.

Phase 7: Monitoring & optimization (Months 6-18)

Track KPIs against targets. Create employee feedback loops. Run continuous improvement cycles. Report success metrics to stakeholders.

In Miro: Build KPI dashboards that update in real-time. Create feedback collection boards. Document improvement opportunities. Celebrate successes visually to reinforce change.

Managing the human side of company restructuring

Organizational restructuring fails or succeeds based on people, not plans. Even the most thoughtful corporate restructuring strategy falls apart without addressing how humans experience change.

The communication strategies that work

Transparent communication builds trust during uncertainty. Plan town halls using Miro boards where leaders can visualize changes, answer questions, and address concerns in real-time. Create communication cascades showing how information flows through the organization. Develop comprehensive FAQs collaboratively, capturing real employee questions.

Managing rumors is important. When employees can see the complete restructuring plan visually and understand both what’s changing and what’s staying the same, their anxiety goes down. Visual roadmaps that show the shift from the current state to the future state help people see their place in the new organization.

Supporting employees through transition

Reskilling and upskilling programs need clear pathways. Use Miro to map career transitions, showing how current roles evolve into new opportunities. Outplacement services for affected employees should be communicated with empathy and clarity. Mental health and wellness support becomes critical during restructuring periods.

Try the Change Management Game Template

Cultural transformation during restructuring

Values alignment workshops help teams understand how restructuring supports organizational values rather than abandoning them. Run cultural audits to identify which cultural elements to preserve and which need evolution. Model new behaviors from leadership first. Design recognition systems that reinforce desired cultural shifts.

Measuring company restructuring success

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Company restructuring is a major investment of time, money, and organizational energy, yet many companies struggle to define what “success” actually means beyond vague goals like “becoming more agile” or “improving efficiency.” Without clear metrics, you can’t know if your restructuring delivered the promised results, if you need to make changes during implementation, or which parts worked well enough to repeat.

Organizations that succeed at restructuring treat measurement as seriously as planning. They set baseline metrics before restructuring starts, set realistic improvement targets, and track progress transparently using visual dashboards that keep everyone aligned. This isn’t about creating reports that sit in filing cabinets; it’s about giving teams real-time visibility into whether the changes they’re experiencing are actually producing the results that justify the disruption.

Financial performance metrics

Track profitability improvement (target 20-40% based on industry benchmarks). Monitor cost reduction achievement against goals. Measure revenue growth post-restructuring. Watch cash flow improvement closely. Calculate ROI on restructuring investment.

Operational efficiency metrics

Measure decision-making speed improvements. Track process cycle time reductions. Monitor productivity gains across teams. Assess quality improvements.

Employee experience metrics

Survey employee engagement scores regularly. Track retention rates, especially for key talent. Measure satisfaction through pulse surveys. Monitor productivity per employee.

Strategic alignment metrics

Track goal achievement rates. Monitor market share changes. Measure customer satisfaction. Assess competitive positioning improvements.

Building your restructuring scorecard in Miro: Create balanced scorecard dashboards showing financial, operational, employee, and strategic metrics in one view. Use color coding to highlight progress and concerns. Update metrics in real-time so stakeholders always see current status.

Essential tools for effective company restructuring

Visual collaboration platforms

Miro serves as your central restructuring hub. Create org charts and scenario plan different structures. Run stakeholder workshops and alignment sessions. Map processes and design workflows. Plan communications and cascades. Collaborate in real-time across distributed teams. Access comprehensive template libraries for every restructuring phase.

The advantage? Everything connects on one infinite canvas. Financial models link to org charts. Communication plans tie directly to implementation timelines. Stakeholder maps connect to risk assessments. Everyone sees how the pieces fit together.

Explore Miro’s restructuring capabilities

Integration with other essential tools

Miro integrates with HRIS systems for workforce planning. Connect to project management tools for execution tracking. Link to BI tools for metrics and reporting. Integrate with communication platforms for seamless information sharing.

Creating your restructuring technology stack

Start with a central visual collaboration hub (Miro). Add project management for task tracking. Include HRIS for workforce data. Connect communication platforms. Layer in analytics tools. Miro becomes the workspace that brings all these tools together, creating one source of truth for your restructuring.

Legal, ethical, and compliance considerations

Legal requirements and compliance

Understand labor law requirements in your jurisdictions. Follow WARN Act requirements (US) for mass layoffs. Conduct required union consultations. Review contractual obligations carefully. Ensure proper securities law disclosure for public companies.

Ethical decision-making framework

Balance stakeholder interests fairly. Create transparent, fair processes. Practice responsible downsizing. Consider community impact. Document ethical considerations in your planning.

In Miro: Create ethical decision matrices that help evaluate restructuring decisions against your values. Make ethical considerations visible throughout planning, not afterthoughts.

Free company restructuring plan templates

Ready to start planning your restructuring? These Miro templates help you organize complex transformation:

1. Organizational Change Map — Map stakeholders, changes, and impacts visually
2. Change Management Landscape — Comprehensive planning for organizational change
3. Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model — Follow proven change management frameworks
4. Six Change Plans — Develop multiple restructuring scenarios
5. Theory of Change — Connect restructuring actions to desired outcomes

Watch: Organizational change and transformation with Miro

Learn how leading organizations use visual collaboration to navigate complex organizational transformations successfully.

Frequently asked questions about company restructuring

What is company restructuring and when is it needed? Company restructuring is a strategic reorganization of business operations, structure, or finances to improve performance. You need restructuring when facing financial distress, rapid growth that outpaces your structure, market shifts requiring new capabilities, operational inefficiencies costing money, or strategic pivots to new business models.

How long does a typical company restructuring take? Timeline varies dramatically by complexity. Simple organizational restructuring might take 3-6 months. Comprehensive operational restructuring typically requires 9-18 months. Complex strategic restructuring can take 18-36 months. Organizations using visual collaboration tools like Miro often complete restructuring 40-60% faster by eliminating coordination overhead.

What are the main types of company restructuring? The four core types are: (1) Organizational restructuring — changing reporting structures, team composition, and departmental boundaries; (2) Financial restructuring — addressing debt, capital structure, or asset allocation; (3) Operational restructuring — optimizing processes, technology, and workflows; (4) Strategic restructuring — transforming business models, market positioning, or portfolio composition.

How do you communicate restructuring to employees effectively? Effective communication starts with transparency and visual clarity. Use visual roadmaps showing “current state” to “future state” so employees understand the journey. Hold interactive town halls where people can ask questions and see answers captured visually. Create clear communication cascades showing who communicates what, when. Address the “why” behind changes, not just the “what.” Provide regular updates showing progress. Most importantly, create two-way feedback loops where employee concerns get heard and addressed.

What is a company restructuring plan template and why is it important? A company restructuring plan template provides a structured framework for organizing complex transformation. It ensures you don’t miss critical steps like stakeholder analysis, risk assessment, or communication planning. Templates in Miro let multiple stakeholders collaborate on the restructuring plan simultaneously, creating shared understanding. They also document decisions, timelines, and ownership — creating accountability throughout implementation.

What is operational restructuring vs organizational restructuring? Operational restructuring focuses on how work gets done — optimizing processes, implementing technology, improving efficiency, and reducing costs through better workflows. Organizational restructuring focuses on who does the work — changing reporting structures, departmental boundaries, role definitions, and team composition. Complex restructuring often requires both: changing the org structure AND how teams work within that new structure.

What are common restructuring strategies for struggling companies? Common strategies include: consolidating overlapping departments to reduce costs; implementing shared services models to centralize support functions; focusing on core profitable business units while divesting underperforming ones; automating manual processes to improve efficiency; flattening hierarchies to speed decision-making; outsourcing non-strategic functions; renegotiating debt obligations; and selling non-core assets to improve cash position.

How can visual collaboration improve company restructuring outcomes? Visual collaboration transforms restructuring from abstract concepts into concrete, shared understanding. When stakeholders see org charts, process maps, timelines, and communication plans on one canvas, alignment happens naturally. Changes become transparent rather than mysterious. Dependencies between workstreams become visible, preventing coordination failures. Real-time collaboration eliminates endless email chains and meeting cycles. Most critically, visual workspaces create psychological safety — people can see their concerns captured and addressed, reducing resistance to change.

Your company restructuring journey starts with visual collaboration

Company restructuring is one of the most complex challenges organizations face. The financial stakes are high, employee anxiety is real, and coordinating stakeholders requires precision. Timing is also critical. Yet most organizations use disconnected tools for restructuring, which makes coordination almost impossible.

The organizations that succeed share one thing: they bring restructuring planning, stakeholder alignment, and implementation tracking together in one visual workspace. When everyone can see how organizational changes connect to process redesigns, how communication plans tie to implementation timelines, and how risks link to mitigation strategies, restructuring transforms from a top-down directive into collaborative transformation.

Miro’s innovation workspace gives you the canvas to orchestrate complexity. Map current-state structures and envision future-state organizations. Run stakeholder workshops that build alignment. Create implementation roadmaps that keep hundreds of moving pieces synchronized. Design communication strategies that reduce anxiety through transparency.

Ready to approach your company restructuring with visual collaboration at the center?

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Author: Miro Team

Last update: December 22, 2025