Leveraging Microsoft Power Platform Center of Excellence (CoE) is crucial for businesses with a Power Platform practice. Microsoft Power Platform is a low-code suite that allows users to rapidly build and deploy custom business applications. It allows users to create solutions tailored to specific business needs without requiring extensive coding expertise. The platform itself comprises a series of connected tools, namely Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI and Copilot Studio. Each of these tools provides notable functionalities and potent capabilities for organizations.

Introducing Citizen Developers

As low code tools democratize digital solutions development within the workforce, individuals are increasingly using these tools to build solutions and apps for their unique business needs. The term, citizen developer describes employees who create application solutions for themselves or others using tools that are allowed by their organizations – in many cases, Microsoft’s Power Platform. These individuals typically work in business units other than IT, don’t require or have formal coding expertise, but have a good understanding of business processes.

Businesses also develop enterprise-grade solutions using these low-code tools. In this situation, Microsoft Certified Partners with deep competencies and experience in pushing the limits of low code tools work with businesses to deliver organization-wide solutions.

This opportunity, where multiple apps and solutions are routinely created to solve business needs, and even evolve in a democratized and decentralized manner, creates a challenge for businesses.

The Governance Dilemma – Operating without a Center of Excellence

As these tools proliferate within a business, the management, security and compliance of these tools begin to generate real threats. An average-sized organization can easily have 100 to 500 apps and solutions developed by its IT function, external consultants and citizen developers.

These solutions could potentially be deployed without sufficient permissions, authorizations and data controls. They could also connect to, or grant unauthorized access to platforms and individuals. These solutions could also pull significantly on organizational resources such as licences. Business continuity issues may also arise when owners of certain solutions or flows lose their rights, or exit the business.

These create a significant dilemma where a business must find a way to encourage and support its workforce’s utilization of low-code tools to drive innovation while providing the required governance to ensure compliance and mitigate risks.

Microsoft Power Platform Center of Excellence

A Microsoft Power Platform Center of Excellence (CoE) is a strategic initiative that organizations invest in to foster innovation, improve processes, and maintain governance. The CoE aligns teams around business goals rather than individual department metrics. It breaks down silos and encourages creativity and innovation.

The Center of Excellence comprises tools, processes and people. An organization must ensure that these three components are properly defined and decided for the business. Once these are in place, the CoE Starter Kit – which includes multiple apps and Power BI analytics to view and interact with the organization’s low-code solutions data – provides several templates and suggested patterns and practices for implementing CoE efforts. This kit has a collection of components and tools that are designed to help businesses get started with developing a strategy for adopting and supporting Microsoft Power Platform, with a focus on Power Apps, Power Automate, and Microsoft Copilot Studio.

There is no universal solution for a Center of Excellence (CoE), as different organizations have varying levels of restrictiveness. However, the CoE Starter Kit offers a foundation for administration, governance, and nurture tooling but may need to be extended to meet specific needs. Reasons for extending the kit include capturing additional metadata for compliance, modifying processes, customizing branding for widely used apps, and building additional apps and flows based on the kit’s inventory.

When configured and deployed appropriately for an organization, it significantly reduces the dilemma between nurturing growth while maintaining control. It supports rapid app development, empowers makers, and ensures alignment with overall business objectives.

Getting Started

The best time to get started with the Center of Excellence is today. The win-win of fostering innovation while ensuring governance provides a strong case for action.

Useful resources that provide an overview of the CoE and Starter Kit guidance are available on Microsoft Learn. For more robust insights or unique customizations, the services of an experienced CoE consultant may be required. Get in touch today