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Maximize the Benefits from Enterprise Applications with a Center of Excellence

Optimize your organization’s enterprise application capabilities with a refined and scalable methodology.

  • Processes pertaining to managing the application are inconsistent and do not drive excellence.
  • There is a lack of interdepartmental collaboration between different teams pertaining to the application.
  • There are no formalized roles and responsibilities for governance and support around enterprise applications.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • Scale the Center of Excellence (CoE) based on business needs. There is flexibility in how extensively the CoE methodology is applied and rigidity in how consistently it should be used.
  • The CoE is a refinery. It takes raw inputs from the business and produces an enhanced product, removing waste and isolating it from re-entering day-to-day operations.
  • Excellence is about people as much as it is about process. Documented best practices should include competencies, key resources, and identified champions to advocate the CoE practice.

Impact and Result

  • Formalize roles and responsibilities for all application initiatives.
  • Develop a standard process of governance and oversight surrounding the application.
  • Develop a comprehensive support network that consists of IT, the business, and external stakeholders to address issues and problem areas surrounding the application.

Maximize the Benefits from Enterprise Applications with a Center of Excellence Research & Tools

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should establish a Center of Excellence for your enterprise application, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.

1. Create a vision for the CoE

Understand the importance of developing an enterprise application CoE, define its scope, and identify key stakeholders.


Member Testimonials

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.

10.0/10


Overall Impact

$129,465


Average $ Saved

12


Average Days Saved

Client

Experience

Impact

$ Saved

Days Saved

Christiana Care

Guided Implementation

10/10

$2,599

10

Lisa is a tremendous help and I look forward to our continued partnership. We certainly would not be as far along if we didn't have her guidance.

Christiana Care

Guided Implementation

10/10

$7,799

5

Lisa asked good questions, listened to the response and provided useful information and guidance

Kamehameha Schools

Guided Implementation

10/10

$377K

20

The best part is the people who service our Kamehameha Schools account. There are no worst parts at this time.

Hanon Systems

Guided Implementation

8/10

$12,300

5

How to measure the success of the CoE by establishing KPIs

Shentel Management Company

Guided Implementation

7/10

$2,546

3

UGI Utilities, Inc.

Guided Implementation

9/10

$45,499

10

Best was having Robert Fayle sharing real life experience and serving as a sounding board. The materials provided a structured way of thinking and... Read More


Workshop: Maximize the Benefits from Enterprise Applications with a Center of Excellence

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Create a Vision for the CoE

The Purpose

  • Understand the importance of developing a CoE for enterprise applications.
  • Determine how to best align the CoE mandate with business objectives.
  • Complete a CoE project charter to gain buy-in, build a project team, and track project success. 

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Key stakeholders identified.
  • Project team created with defined roles and responsibilities.
  • Project charter finalized to gain buy-in.

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Evaluate business needs and priorities.

  • Project vision
1.2

Identify key stakeholders and the project team.

  • Defined roles and responsibilities
1.3

Align CoE with business priorities.

  • Strategic alignment of CoE and the business
1.4

Map current state CoE.

  • CoE current state schematic

Module 2: Design the CoE Future State

The Purpose

  • Gain a thorough understanding of pains related to the lack of application governance.
  • Identify and recycle existing CoE practices.
  • Visualize the CoE enhancement process.
  • Visualize your ideal state CoE. 

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Requirements to strengthen the case for the enterprise application CoE.
  • CoE value-add refinery.
  • Future potential of the CoE.

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Gather requirements.

  • Classified pains, opportunities, and existing practices
2.2

Map the CoE enhancement process.

  • CoE refinery model
2.3

Sketch future state CoE.

  • Future state CoE sketch

Module 3: Develop a CoE Roadmap

The Purpose

  • Assess required capabilities and resourcing.
  • List and prioritize CoE initiatives.
  • Track and monitor CoE performance. 

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Next steps for the enterprise application CoE.
  • CoE resourcing plan.
  • CoE benefits realization tracking.

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Build CoE capabilities.

  • CoE potential capabilities
3.2

Identify risks and mitigation efforts.

  • Risk management plan
3.3

Prioritize and track CoE initiatives.

  • CoE initiatives roadmap
3.4

Finalize stakeholder presentation.

  • CoE stakeholder presentation
Maximize the Benefits from Enterprise Applications with a Center of Excellence preview picture

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

MEMBER RATING

10.0/10
Overall Impact

$129,465
Average $ Saved

12
Average Days Saved

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve.

Read what our members are saying

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 9 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Create a vision for the CoE
  • Call 1: Understand the significance of building a CoE for your enterprise application. Define the scope of the CoE and identify stakeholders.
  • Call 2: Align the CoE goals with corporate objectives.
  • Call 3: Understand the four defining elements of the CoE Operating Model. Determine current support capability under each element.

Guided Implementation 2: Design the CoE future state
  • Call 1: Analyze and classify requirements.
  • Call 2: Identify CoE initiatives to address classified requirements.
  • Call 3: Create a map of the ideal state that ties identified initiatives with the CoE Operating Model.

Guided Implementation 3: Develop a CoE roadmap
  • Call 1: Assess the capabilities required to build the CoE.
  • Call 2: Prioritize CoE initiatives and identify any dependencies.
  • Call 3: Measure and track the success of each initiative using KPIs.

Authors

Suanne McGrath-Kelly

Mohammed Alsakka

Contributors

  • Eric Kimberling, Principal, Panorama Consulting
  • Jim Miller, Principal, Data Clarity Corporation
  • Jon Strickler, Principal, Horizon Line Group
  • Mike Boldt , IT Director, Moog Inc.
  • Peter Coppola, Associate Director, Application Services, Australian Catholic University
  • Rory O’Neill, IT Director, University of Alaska
  • Shibi Jose, Business Systems Analyst, City of Prince Albert
  • Anonymous contributor, Government Research Institute

Search Code: 77734
Last Revised: January 19, 2016

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