Securing your Power Apps: Why Your Organisation Needs a Microsoft Center of Excellence

In our series on Power App security, we’ve explored the nuances of data loss prevention, role-based access control (RBAC) in Power Apps, and the intricacies of monitoring Power Apps. In this final blog of the series, we explore a pivotal aspect of your Microsoft Power Platform strategy: the Center of Excellence (CoE).  

Why a Center of Excellence? 

A Microsoft Center of Excellence is more than just a name; it’s a strategic approach that ensures your organisation can fully harness the power of Power Apps, SharePoint and Power Automate. It establishes clear governance models, which are crucial for ensuring that your apps and workflows adhere to both organisational and industry standards. This level of governance is essential for maintaining security and compliance. 

Beyond governance, a CoE fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement. By sharing best practices across teams, it promotes a unified approach to app development and process automation. This collaborative environment encourages innovation, helping your organisation stay ahead in a competitive market. 

By centralising expertise and resources, a CoE streamlines processes and reduces redundancy. This not only saves time and costs but also promotes the reuse of components and templates, further enhancing productivity and consistency across projects. 

In essence, a CoE is a strategic enabler driving innovation, efficiency, and compliance. It’s an investment in your future, ensuring that your Microsoft Power Platform initiatives are aligned with your business goals and are executed to the highest standards. 

Setting Up a Center of Excellence 

Creating a CoE involves careful planning and execution. Here are some steps to consider: 

Define Objectives: Start by clearly defining what you want your CoE to achieve. These objectives might include improving governance, increasing efficiency, fostering innovation, or enhancing security. Ensure that these goals are aligned with your organisation’s overall strategy, as well as the strategic technology objectives, and that the goals are measurable. Seek out opportunities to use the Power Platform to unlock any challenges or goals the business is looking to achieve. 

Assemble a Team: Your CoE team should be a diverse group of individuals, each bringing a unique set of skills to the table. This team should include technical experts who understand the intricacies of Power Apps, as well as business analysts who can translate business needs into technical requirements. Change managers are also crucial for ensuring that the adoption of new practices is smooth and well-received by the wider organisation. 

Establish Governance: Developing a robust governance model is key to the success of your CoE. This model should include policies and procedures for app development, data security, user access, and compliance with regulatory requirements. It’s also important to establish clear guidelines for the lifecycle management of apps, from development to retirement. 

Create a Knowledge Base: A central repository of best practices, templates, and reusable components is essential for promoting consistency and efficiency. This knowledge base should be easily accessible and regularly updated to reflect the latest developments in technology and industry standards. Encourage team members to contribute to this repository and share their insights and experiences. 

Implement Tools: Utilise tools like the Power Platform Center of Excellence Starter Kit to automate governance processes and monitor usage. These tools can provide valuable insights into how your Power Platform environment is being used and help identify areas for improvement. They can also assist in enforcing policies and ensuring compliance with governance standards. 

When setting up a CoE, there are a few elements that are often overlooked but are crucial for long-term success: 

Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with key stakeholders from across the organisation to ensure their needs and concerns are addressed. This will help in securing buy-in and support for the CoE. 

Change Management: Implement a change management strategy to manage the transition to new processes and technologies. This includes communication plans, training programs, and support structures to help users adapt to the changes. 

Metrics and KPIs: Define clear metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of the CoE. These should be aligned with the objectives of the CoE and should be regularly reviewed and updated. 

Continuous Improvement: Establish a culture of continuous improvement within the CoE. Encourage team members to regularly review processes, tools, and governance models and suggest improvements. 

By addressing these commonly overlooked elements, you can ensure that your Center of Excellence is set up for success and is well-positioned to drive innovation and efficiency. 

Maintaining a Center of Excellence 

A CoE is not a set-and-forget initiative. It requires ongoing effort. By conducting periodic reviews you can ensure the CoE is meeting its objectives and adapting to new challenges. Encourage continuous learning and professional development within the CoE team and foster a community of practice, collaboration and knowledge sharing across the organisation. And, use feedback and metrics to refine processes and governance models. 

A Microsoft Center of Excellence is more than just a hub of expertise; it’s a strategic enabler. By setting up and maintaining a CoE, you can ensure that your investment in the Power Platform delivers maximum value, driving innovation, efficiency, and compliance.  

If you’re looking to develop secure and powerful Power Apps, or if you want to enhance the security of your existing solutions, reach out to us. Let’s work together to create secure, efficient, and innovative Power Apps solutions. 

Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can work together to create secure, efficient, and innovative Power Apps solutions.