What is a Power Platform Centre of Excellence? 

We here at BOSS Global Consulting are running Power Platform Centres of Excellence for some of the world’s largest financial institutions. In this post, we share some of experience. 

What is the Power Platform? 

Microsoft Power Platform is a comprehensive suite of low-code development tools that empowers users to create custom business applications, automate workflows, and analyse data. The platform is designed to be accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise. 

The Power Platform consists of several key components: 

1. Power Apps: This tool allows users to build custom applications with minimal coding. Power Apps integrates with other Microsoft services and a wide range of third-party applications. 

2. Power Automate: Power Automate enables users to automate repetitive tasks and workflows across various applications and services. This automation helps reduce manual effort, minimise errors, and enhance productivity. 

3. Power BI: A powerful business analytics tool, Power BI allows users to visualise and share insights from their data.  

4. Power Virtual Agents: This component allows users to create intelligent chatbots without the need for extensive coding knowledge. These chatbots can engage with customers and employees, providing support and answering queries around the clock. 

5. Power Pages: Power Pages is a secure platform for creating, hosting, and managing custom web pages that integrate with other Power Platform components and external data sources. 

The platform’s integration with other Microsoft services, such as Azure and Office 365, further extends its functionality. 

Why is a Power Platform Centre of Excellence important? 

A Power Platform Centre of Excellence (CoE) is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it drives the adoption of best practices and guidelines, ensuring that the development and deployment of solutions are consistent, compliant and governed effectively across the organisation. By establishing a CoE, enterprises can create a structured environment where standards and policies are clearly defined and adhered to, reducing risks associated with ad-hoc development. 

Secondly, a CoE supports the growth of ‘citizen developers’—employees who may not have formal IT training but can create applications using the Power Platform. By providing training, resources, and support, the CoE empowers these users to innovate and solve business problems efficiently, thereby accelerating digital transformation within the organisation. 

Additionally, a CoE fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. It acts as a hub for sharing knowledge, best practices, and success stories, encouraging collaboration and the exchange of ideas. This not only enhances the quality of solutions developed but also maximises the return on investment in the Power Platform. 

Where does a Centre of Excellence fit into a company’s Power Platform ecosystem? 

A Centre of Excellence (CoE) works alongside the Operations & Maintenance team and the Workload Teams to drive, manage and sustain the platform’s success. 

1. Cloud Centre of Excellence (CoE) Team: This team is primarily responsible for steering the cloud transformation journey. They focus on scaling the use of the Power Platform across the organisation, ensuring best practices are followed, and providing consistency in implementation. Their role includes governance, strategy formulation, and fostering innovation to leverage the full potential of the Power Platform. 

2. Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Team: The O&M team is dedicated to the upkeep and support of the platform’s infrastructure and the applications running on it. They ensure that the systems are reliable, secure, and performing optimally. This includes routine maintenance, troubleshooting, and implementing updates or enhancements to keep the ecosystem robust and efficient. 

3. Workload Teams: These teams focus on the continuous development of useful solutions built on the Power Platform. They are responsible for creating new applications, automating processes, and integrating the platform with other systems. By doing so, they help in driving business value and operational efficiency. 

Together, these teams form a cohesive ecosystem that ensures the Power Platform is effectively utilised, maintained, and continuously improved, aligning with the company’s strategic goals and operational needs. 

How do I start to build out a Centre of Excellence? 

To start building a Centre of Excellence (CoE), follow these steps to ensure a structured and effective approach: 

1. Define Purpose and Objectives: Clearly articulate the purpose of the CoE and the specific objectives it aims to achieve. This should align with your organisation’s strategic goals and business outcomes. Consider areas such as innovation, efficiency, quality improvement, and knowledge sharing. 

2. Assess Current State: Utilise a maturity model to evaluate the current state of your organisation’s capabilities in the relevant domain. This assessment will help identify strengths, weaknesses, risks, and opportunities for improvement. Understanding your starting point is crucial for setting realistic goals and measuring progress. 

3. Establish Governance Framework: Develop a governance framework that outlines the roles, responsibilities and processes for the CoE. This should include decision-making structures, reporting lines, and mechanisms for accountability. Ensure that there is a balance between central oversight and the autonomy of business units. 

4. Build a Skilled Team: Assemble a team of experts with the necessary skills and experience to drive the CoE’s initiatives. This team should include subject matter experts, project managers, and change agents who can champion the CoE’s objectives and facilitate collaboration across the organisation. 

5. Develop Standards and Best Practices: Create and document standards, best practices, and methodologies that will guide the CoE’s activities. These should be based on industry benchmarks and tailored to your organisation’s specific needs. Ensure that these standards are communicated and adopted across the organisation. 

6. Implement Tools and Technologies: Invest in the tools and technologies that will support the CoE’s functions. This may include software for project management, collaboration platforms and analytics tools.  

7. Pilot and Scale: Start with a pilot project to test the CoE’s approach and methodologies. Use this pilot to gather feedback, refine processes, and demonstrate value. Once the pilot is successful, gradually scale up the CoE’s activities to cover more areas of the organisation. 

8. Continuous Improvement: Establish mechanisms for continuous learning and improvement. This includes regular reviews, feedback loops and performance metrics to track progress and identify areas for enhancement. Encourage a culture of innovation and adaptability within the CoE. 

9. Engage Stakeholders: Actively engage with stakeholders across the organisation to ensure buy-in and support for the CoE. This includes communicating the benefits, addressing concerns and involving stakeholders in the CoE’s initiatives. Foster a collaborative environment where stakeholders feel empowered to contribute to the CoE’s success. 

10. Measure and Communicate Success: Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the CoE’s impact on the organisation. Regularly report on these metrics to demonstrate the value of the CoE and to secure ongoing support from leadership. Use success stories and case studies to highlight achievements and lessons learned. 

By following these steps, you can build a Centre of Excellence that drives innovation, improves efficiency, and delivers tangible business value while maintaining central oversight and governance. 

If you feel that you’d like to tap into our experience or to engage us to assess your CoE maturity, please get in touch.