Working method / enterprise architecture
When a request touches the wider system, bring the wider system into the answer.
A Centre of Excellence gives people access to the right expertise when their work needs more than a standard route.
NaaS to YaaS starts with the better question: what is the person trying to achieve? Many requests can then follow a clear, supported path. Others reach beyond one team, product or platform.
That is where a Centre of Excellence can help. It brings the right people together to understand the need, consider the full system and help the requestor find a route that will work in practice.
A proportionate response
Use the simplest route that gives the business a sound answer.
- 01Standard request
A known need follows a documented pattern, self-service route or normal operating process.
- 02Shared problem
The intake team helps clarify the need and brings in guidance or alternatives from the relevant service.
- 03Architectural request
A cross-functional review connects the expertise needed to make a sustainable decision.
Expertise as a service
A CoE should make a difficult request easier to solve well.
It is not another approval barrier. It is a way to give a requestor access to people who understand the different parts of the environment and can help them see the implications of a choice.
The review can challenge an assumption, suggest an established pattern, identify a risk early or connect a team with someone who can help. The aim is to make progress with fewer surprises later.
Illustrative example
“I need a server” is a reasonable starting point.
It is not yet enough information to choose the right answer.
What makes a good Centre of Excellence?
It needs enough depth to help, and enough pace to stay useful.
The right experience
Each area needs people with enough practical knowledge to understand the implications of a request and know when to draw on someone else.
A timely assessment
Good review should bring clarity early. It needs to be proportionate, so people can move forward without unnecessary delay.
Open collaboration
The CoE works with the requestor and with one another. Different perspectives improve the answer when people can share them openly.
Continuous improvement
Each request can improve the next one. Common questions should become clearer patterns, guides and services over time.
One team receiving the request may not be able to assess every one of those questions. A Centre of Excellence brings the relevant perspectives together and returns a useful answer to the requestor: a supported route, the choices involved and any risks that need a decision.
At enterprise scale, that same practical expertise can also inform product and research teams. It helps them understand how a product will need to work in real customer environments, rather than discovering those constraints only after delivery.
Read: The safest route has to be the easiest one →Explore NaaS to YaaS ←