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Last week, we explained why we must consider a Power BI Semantic Model as an ongoing development rather than a single report being all that matters. Embracing that brings you halfway to a successful Power Platform deployment, the second half comes from recognising that you will already have a significant portion of the long-term resource requirements for your environment in-house. Filling that gap is where your Centre of Excellence (CoE) comes in.

A CoE must always be structured to deliver technical and business skills. Many organisations will already have people with some of the skills needed across the Power Platform; your existing capabilities should be part of the considerations in your component selections. Remember you want to leverage the skills and knowledge you already have within your organisation; success does not come from having the most skilled team but from understanding the insights being uncovered and unlocked. The role of a consultant is to help identify the skills gaps and help plan the actions to fill them while providing that expertise in the interim.

Let us look back at the post’s title and what it means in the context of your CoE. To reframe the challenge, a legacy data solution would often lack business involvement. It was run purely as a service, with the business being required to raise tickets for any changes that are needed in terms of new report content; the delivery process would also require “proof of business value”; this requirement is the death knell of a data platform. The business is not incentivised to run all requirements through the ticketing system; the result is “Shadow Analytics” Someone within the Team, Department or Division will run an operation effectively as a side hustle to their job where they deliver Excel solutions to their colleagues. These typically diverge from the central enterprise data platform, especially as the amount of “Shadow” content grows. Eventually, the shadow function eclipses the Enterprise Platform. If you do not believe us ,look at the history of Power BI and the hard pivot in strategy that Microsoft went through to effectively tombstone their then-current industry-leading analytics platform and begin replacing it. The pace of development was incredible and has remained so for nearly 15 years (as a concept, Power BI started around 2011 as Excel add-ins; in July 2015, the Power BI Service was launched, and Power BI Desktop have been updating every month since its launch).

Just changing to Power BI and the Power Platform does not automatically make it possible to swerve Shadow Analytics; rather, that comes from bringing those Shadow Developers into your CoE. If you think that sounds silly, remember these people have a deep and rich knowledge of how your business truly functions and can often pre-empt requirements, so why would you not bring them into your CoE? These are invariably very talented solution builders, so it is better to have them build up the enterprise data platform rather than build their own towers around your organisation.

Geordie Consulting will work with you to deliver your data solutions quickly and to warp a support structure around that. We can help expand the Data Function to involve the historic Shadow Functions and bring them on board, providing support and training as needed for them to embrace the new platform. They will only transition to using the Power Platform when they see that they can do more with it.

Our next task will be to look holistically at your whole CoE membership and carry out that skills assessment with you. This is when we invite your organisation to consider what is desired in the longer term from the CoE. Does it need new resources, or can your existing resources meet all the requirements? Given the scope of the Microsoft Power Platform, it is common for organisations to opt to use elements that their current teams can manage or retrain to manage.

The transformation journey is not without its challenges, but Geordie Consulting turns these challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation. By reframing how you look at your data solutions and involving the business in the process, we help you move away from legacy data solutions that often lack business involvement. Our approach ensures that your CoE is not just a technical hub but a vibrant and dynamic part of your organisation that drives business value and innovation.

 

Geordie Consulting is your trusted partner in establishing a Centre of Excellence that reflects your organisation’s unique strengths and potential. We bring a professional and highly skilled approach to the process, ensuring the journey is as rewarding as the destination. Let our insight unlock your insights and deliver you a Centre of Excellence that not only meets but exceeds your expectations, resulting in a lower cost of ownership and a greater return on investment.