General:
* Arrangement
* Structure
* Organization
* Configuration
* Pattern
Specific to military or sports:
* Deployment
* Lineup
* Tactics
* Strategy
* Squad
Specific to geology:
* Stratification
* Layering
* Deposition
Specific to language:
* Syntax
* Grammar
Specific to business:
* Structure
* Framework
* Architecture
To get a more precise alternative, please provide me with the sentence or context where "formation" is used.