A Power Platform Centre of Excellence (CoE) is a centralised function which drives innovation and improvement across organisations. It allows people from different teams and departments to align organisational goals and break down silos. The overarching goal of the CoE is to encourage innovation whilst maintaining the appropriate governance.
Microsoft’s Power Platform is comprised of four solutions: Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate and Power Virtual Agents. Each of the solutions is designed to empower users to do more with less, and the ability to create powerful apps, gain valuable insights and create automated business processes quickly.
The CoE, acting as a centralised function, brings with it several benefits to an organisation, such as:
- A single view of Power Platform components across your organisation
- Training and best practice guidance to uplift internal resource capability and reduce skillset silos
- Freedom for users to utilise the tools your organisation has invested in
- In-depth monitoring of usage, with clear oversight of what is being used and where
- Simple and efficient administration of Power Platform
Establishing your CoE
To ensure the successful implementation of a CoE, it needs to have both a clear mission statement and well-defined measures of success at the outset. Typically, these measures of success revolve around the enablement and support of the following key areas:
- Strategic transformation vision;
- Establishment of a CoE steering group and defining Roles and Responsibilities;
- Establishment of a robust Front Door process;
- Definition of governance and standards;
- Integration with existing technical authority and approval processes; and
- Nurturing, training, and support of BizApps makers.
Due to the multi-faceted nature of a CoE and the importance of multiple interrelated processes that need to be implemented, a robust and proven methodology must be followed to ensure the key benefits, dependencies, project milestones and timelines are clearly understood and agreed upon. Additionally, it is important to have sponsorship at the correct organisational level and a clear strategy and set of objectives to act as a ‘North Star’. This helps ensure that the establishment of a robust CoE as a multi-disciplined, cross-functional capability is a success.
With a wealth of experience in supporting organisations on their CoE journey, Telefónica Tech has developed and refined a robust framework that is leveraged by organisations to accelerate the successful establishment of a Power Platform CoE. The underpinnings of our framework are based on helping our customers identify and then embed the core principles, vision, and desired outcomes of the CoE across the following areas:
| Area | Outcome |
| Strategy | What is the purpose of implementing the Power Platform Centre of Excellence?
(This will need to assimilate goals, drivers, and pain points from across the business into one, collective vision) |
| Success metrics | What metrics will the Power Platform Centre of Excellence be measured against? |
| Front door process | Establish a robust Front Door process which will be the vehicle by which the overarching authority of the CoE Steering Group will be enacted |
| Roles & Responsibilities | Who will be responsible for ensuring the success of the Power Platform Centre of Excellence?
What roles or skills will be required across the business to ensure all facets are monitored and represented such as Info-Sec, User “Champions” and existing BizApps specialists? |
| Monitor & evolve | How will the Power Platform Centre of Excellence tools and processes be measured and maintained? |
Telefónica Tech has extensive experience in the successful creation of CoE’s across the Financial Services. With extensive experience in the sector we understand the various challenges associated within organisations across the sector and use this to build a CoE that will deliver remarkable results.
To discover more about the work we do in the Financial Services sector, get in touch.