Skip to main content

Data & Intelligence

Implementing your Centre for Excellence

 Vision

To build a CoE, it is absolutely essential to have a clearly defined vision. History proves that this grand, overall vision (or    plan) is critical to developing dominance in a specialty area. Once you establish a plan, specific strategies can then be developed based upon this plan. If strategies are not utilized in connection with a grand plan, it is much more likely that your efforts will fall short and it also increases the chances that your implementation efforts will simply look like “unrelated efforts” as opposed to tactics aligned to an overall vision.

Role Models

As you begin to form a concept or idea for a grand plan, you may find it very helpful to identify a “role model” project to use “as a guide” in developing your plan. For example, if you can find two or three projects that have some of the attributes that your plan desires, these could be a great example that you could model your plan after.

Keep in mind that a selected project need not be “perfect” in every way, but merely have executed some of the qualities desirable to include in your CoE. Those qualities or characteristics of the project that seem to have fallen short can be “called out” as “areas identified for improvement” and can still be used as feed for your overall plan or vision.

After determining a role model project or program and finalizing your own grand plan, you can then start to develop those specific tactics and strategies that will support and comprise your “overall” CoE vision.

Using firm, actual examples from actual projects will go a long way in bringing your “concept” to “reality” and will help in establishing your CoE’s credibility.

In today’s market, make sure your organization establishes and continues to grow a CoE – or you may find yourself left behind.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Jim Miller

Mr. Miller is an IBM certified and accomplished Senior Project Leader and Application/System Architect-Developer with over 30 years of extensive applications and system design and development experience. His current role is National FPM Practice Leader. His experience includes BI, Web architecture & design, systems analysis, GUI design and testing, Database modeling and systems analysis, design, and development of Client/Server, Web and Mainframe applications and systems utilizing: Applix TM1 (including TM1 rules, TI, TM1Web and Planning Manager), dynaSight - ArcPlan, ASP, DHTML, XML, IIS, MS Visual Basic and VBA, Visual Studio, PERL, Websuite, MS SQL Server, ORACLE, SYBASE SQL Server, etc. His Responsibilities have included all aspects of Windows and SQL solution development and design including: analysis; GUI (and Web site) design; data modeling; table, screen/form and script development; SQL (and remote stored procedures and triggers) development and testing; test preparation and management and training of programming staff. Other experience includes development of ETL infrastructure such as data transfer automation between mainframe (DB2, Lawson, Great Plains, etc.) systems and client/server SQL server and Web based applications and integration of enterprise applications and data sources. In addition, Mr. Miller has acted as Internet Applications Development Manager responsible for the design, development, QA and delivery of multiple Web Sites including online trading applications, warehouse process control and scheduling systems and administrative and control applications. Mr. Miller also was responsible for the design, development and administration of a Web based financial reporting system for a 450 million dollar organization, reporting directly to the CFO and his executive team. Mr. Miller has also been responsible for managing and directing multiple resources in various management roles including project and team leader, lead developer and applications development director. Specialties Include: Cognos/TM1 Design and Development, Cognos Planning, IBM SPSS and Modeler, OLAP, Visual Basic, SQL Server, Forecasting and Planning; International Application Development, Business Intelligence, Project Development. IBM Certified Developer - Cognos TM1 (perfect score 100% on exam) IBM Certified Business Analyst - Cognos TM1

More from this Author

Follow Us