CCoE - Cloud Center of Excellence

What is CCoE?

A team that develops and promotes strategies for implementing cloud technology at scale across an organization.

Role of a CCoE:

Develops and promotes a scalable approach for implementing cloud technology across the organization. Acts as a central hub for cloud expertise and collaboration.

Design for Success:

Include representatives who can advocate for their teams and departments.
Start with a small team and evolve incrementally as the transformation progresses.
Treat the cloud as your product, and treat application team leaders as the customers you are enabling.

Leverage Cloud Provider Support:

Engage resources like your AWS account manager or solutions architect to guide CCoE creation.

Benefits of a CCoE:

Accelerates the development of subject matter expertise. Builds trust and achieves buy-in across the organization. Establishes effective guidelines for aligning cloud adoption with mission requirements.

Customization is Key:

There is no universal CCoE structure—tailor it to your organization’s unique needs.
Use guiding questions to design a CCoE that aligns with your objectives and transformation journey.
The CCoE structure will evolve and change as the organization changes.

Who should you include in your CCoE?

Initial Composition of a CCoE:
- Starts with a small group of early adopters and cloud champions.
Evolution of the CCoE:
- Expand to include champions who represent:
- Business functions: Change management, stakeholder requirements, governance, training, procurement, and communications.
- Technical functions: Infrastructure, automation, operational tools, security, performance, and availability.
Representation:
- Business functions: Typically represented by administrative and instructional team members.
- Technical functions: Typically represented by IT team members.
Collaboration with Vendors and Partners:
- Involve vendors and partners to provide subject matter expertise, as needed.
Dynamic Nature of the CCoE:
- A living organization that adapts its membership, structure, and function over time.
- May eventually disband once cloud maturity is achieved.

How should you establish a CCoE?

- Start with a business problem.

Identify a compelling use case, even if it seems small.
Work backward from the use case to set clear goals for how technology can provide value.
Avoid implementing solutions in isolation.
Engage business stakeholders consistently before and during the project.
Close collaboration with the institutional units that will use the technology is essential for successful cloud projects.

- Start small.

Select a project that is reversible, allowing mistakes to be quickly corrected (a "two-way door" approach).
Use pilot projects for experimentation and learning.
Avoid large-scale, high-risk initiatives to maintain better control over implementation and outcomes.
Address clearly defined, specific problems rather than broad, overarching goals.
For example, if automation is the goal, focus on automating specific tasks instead of entire roles.

- Define and measure the outcome.

Define metrics to evaluate the progress and performance of each project.
Set the desired end state early to align stakeholder expectations.
Work closely with business stakeholders and organizational leaders to define expectations and measurable outcomes.
Translate results into language that aligns with institutional goals.

- Start from the comfort zone.

Choose a project within a domain your institution knows well to ensure meaningful, understandable goals with tangible impact.
Projects in known domains foster confidence and deliver greater long-term results for your organization.
Start with a project that aligns with your skill set.
For instance, if your institution specializes in data analytics, begin your cloud journey with an analytics-focused project.
Recognize your institution’s unique expertise and needs to craft a successful digital transformation strategy.