An Enterprise Maturity Model for Power Platform Management
The Microsoft Power Platform is a really productive way to create applications across businesses, without the need for extensive professional development teams. The Power Platform includes applications like Power Apps, Power Pages, and Power Virtual Agents, all of which facilitate the creation of custom business applications, automation of workflows and data analysis with minimal coding. This is a huge benefit, but can come at the cost of poor security, duplicated functionality and a general lack of management of the digital estate.
If you’re using, or thinking of using, the Power Platform, we recommend assessing how well your developments are being managed.
An enterprise maturity model for Power Platform is a strategic framework that organisations can use to assess and improve their use of Power Platform tools. It helps organisations evaluate their current capabilities, identify gaps, and develop a roadmap for achieving higher levels of maturity in their use of these tools.
The maturity model typically consists of several levels, each representing a different stage of maturity. These stages reflect how proficiently an organisation leverages Power Platform tools to resolve business problems, streamline processes, and gain insights from data.
Here at Boss Global Consulting, we use a maturity model to undertake this assessment.
The Enterprise Maturity Model for Power Platform Management provides a benchmark and identifies both organisational risk and opportunities to generate new business value.
Five dimensions of Power Platform Management are assessed:
- Authentication
- Environments
- Licence Management
- Reusable Components
- Data Ecosystem
Each of these dimensions are assessed against a five-level maturity model, originally developed by a Power Platform community group in 2019:
- Unaware – There is a lack of awareness of the importance or current status of the dimension within the organisation.
- Disarray – The organisation is aware of the importance and current status of the dimension, though has no means to manage or govern it.
- Reactive – Management and governance of this dimension is driven by responding to emerging situations, crises or requests.
- Strategic – Best-practice management and governance have been established for the dimension, based on strategic and forward-thinking efforts.
- Evolutionary – Regular assessment, planning and actions are undertaken in order to evolve the management of the dimension to meet the needs of changing technology and business drivers.
A sample output looks like this:
Combining these dimensions, we get a sense of the overall maturity of Power Platform Management.
Level 1: Initial/Ad Hoc
At this stage, use of the Power Platform is sporadic and uncoordinated. Individual users or departments may experiment with Power Apps or Power Automate, but there is no cohesive strategy or governance. Solutions are often created in silos, and there is little to no sharing of best practices or learnings across the organisation. The benefits of low-code tools are not fully realised, and there may be duplicated efforts and inefficiencies.
Level 2: Developing/Basic
Organisations at the developing stage begin to recognise the potential of Power Platform tools. There is some level of coordination, and small teams might start to collaborate on projects. Basic governance structures might be introduced, and there is an initial effort to standardise practices. However, the usage is still limited to specific projects or departments. The organisation starts to see some benefits in terms of improved efficiency and productivity in those areas.
Level 3: Defined/Intermediate
At this intermediate level, the organisation has established more formal governance and management practices for the Power Platform. There is a defined strategy for how these tools should be used, and best practices are documented and shared. Training programs are introduced to enhance user skills and promote the adoption of low-code solutions across multiple departments. The organisation begins to see more significant benefits in terms of cost savings, faster solution delivery, and better data-driven decision-making.
Level 4: Managed/Advanced
Organisations at this advanced stage have a mature approach to using Power Platform tools. There is a centralised team or center of excellence that oversees the development and deployment of solutions. Comprehensive governance policies ensure security, compliance, and scalability of applications and workflows. The organisation has a high level of proficiency in using Power Platform tools, leading to innovative solutions that drive business transformation. Metrics and KPIs are used to measure the impact and success of these solutions.
Level 5: Optimised/Innovative
At the highest level of maturity, the use of Power Platform is fully integrated into the organisation’s culture and operations. Continuous improvement processes are in place, and the organisation consistently seeks to innovate and optimise its use of low-code tools. Power Platform solutions are seamlessly integrated with other enterprise systems, providing comprehensive and cohesive digital capabilities. The organisation leverages advanced functionalities like AI and machine learning within Power Platform to gain deeper insights and drive strategic initiatives. The benefits are substantial, including significant cost efficiencies, enhanced agility, and a strong competitive advantage.
In summary, our enterprise maturity model for Power Platform guides organisations through the journey from initial, ad hoc usage to a fully optimised and innovative state. By providing a benchmark, we can plan and assess progress through the stages of the maturity model. And through the development of a Centre of Excellence, our clients systematically enhance their capabilities, ensuring they maximise the value derived from Power Platform tools while meeting business requirements effectively and efficiently.
If you are interested in engaging us to conduct a maturity assessment for your business, or simply to find out more, please contact us at sales@bossgc.co.uk.