Pivoting to Horizontal Communities: AstraZeneca’s Data Science Reorganization

The Shift from Vertical Silos to Horizontal Domains

In a rapidly evolving pharmaceutical landscape, AstraZeneca faced the daunting task of organizing a data science workforce that grew from nearly zero to 2,000 practitioners in just five years. The primary challenge was the geographical and organizational fragmentation of a global company with 80,000 employees. To overcome this, the organization pivoted its community structure from a vertical, team-based orientation to a horizontal, domain-based approach.

Rather than data scientists remaining isolated within their specific functional or regional units, the new structure unites them through shared domains of expertise. As noted during the session, "Instead of looking on the vertical teams... we looked at the horizontal domains that were united them." This framework allows specialists across the globe to collaborate on common technical challenges regardless of their physical location or specific department.

The Three Pillars of Community Activity

To sustain this horizontal organization, AstraZeneca categorizes its community activities into three distinct functional areas:

• Knowledge Sharing: Focused on networking and informal interactions to build trust and social capital among often introverted technical staff.