Any business with a strong integration strategy needs to have a firm grasp of the technology game. However, as your enterprise grows from a small business to a wide-reaching organization, it will need to deal with a greater and greater number of technologies and integration-based projects. Both Center for Enablement (C4E) vs. Center of Excellence (CoE) play a role in simplifying operations and resources.
However, the terms sound rather similar, and this can cause some confusion. But in the article, we shall examine the role of a Center for Enablement, as well as how it differs from a Center for Excellence. In addition, we’ll delve into why a C4E is so important for businesses today.
What is a C4E?
Centre for Enablement or C4E is a group or team that runs an IT operating model. The model in question allows an enterprise to create reusable assets, and collect APIs. It also enables the leveraging of best practices and knowledge that enable self-service and efficient delivery in the organization, and quickly execute new solutions.
The C4E makes sure that other departments in the business can successfully utilize and consume assets, thus encouraging maximum productivity and speed. It enables a continuous delivery framework, instead of treating each IT issue as an independent project. Assets created during one phase become an essential part of every following phase or project.
The C4E operating model is based on 4 foundations: People, Processes, Technology, and Assets.
| Center for Enablement (C4E) | |
| People | Clear roles and responsibilities, and ownership over the platform Intrinsically combined and self-service way of working C4E evangelism promote assets reusability |
| Processes | Creates platform capability and C4E while delivering projects more quickly Balanced deployment approach and continuous delivery Publishing and harvesting assets Use established KPIs to measure enablement success |
| Technology | API-lifecycle management tools Enables hybrid deployment Supports constant feedback process |
| Assets | Templates and accelerators that result in the efficient realization of integration capabilities Building blocks that speed up the delivery of new digital capabilities and innovation through tangible assets Self-service and partnership increases speed and consistency through discoverable assets |
Center for Enablement (C4E) vs. Center of Excellence (CoE)
A Center of Excellence is a centralized group of dedicated people who promote access to high-demand capabilities and deploy them across the organization. This group focuses on expertise in specialized areas and offers leadership and direction in their particular fields.
A CoE allocates resources where they are needed most and has a more governance approach. In other words, a Center for Excellence aims to run, grow, and transform the enterprise in the best way possible.
Here’s how a Center for Enablement differs from a Center of Excellence:
| Feature | Center for Enablement (C4E) | Center of Excellence (CoE) |
| Domain | Centralized group focusing on specialized areas | Centralized group focusing on other business divisions |
| Focus | Production and consumption | Governance |
| Access | Self-serve on demand | Restricted |
| Enablement | Relaxed, community building, laissez-faire | Document-driven and complicated |
| Relationship to Central IT | Central IT hosts the platform | Central IT owns data and infrastructure |
Best Practices for Implementing a Center for Enablement
There are a few sure-fire ways to make sure your Center for Enablement works as it should and facilitates the production and consumption of assets across the enterprise.
Start by assessing the organization’s integration capabilities and make sure you have what it takes to build a C4E. This means that the people, assets, technology, and processes should be in order. The next stage is to assemble your C4E team and create your desired operating model. Identify your assets, their sources, and potential consumers.
From there, you can then build foundational assets and create standards and guidelines. At this stage, you can also finetune processes and make sure everything is ready to be deployed. The next step would be to evangelize your C4E to drive the consumption of assets.
Last but not the least, monitor your Center for Enablement and measure its KPIs. How many assets are being produced and consumed? What kind of engagement is the C4E getting?
Advantages of a C4E
Here are some of the most common benefits of a C4E:
- Briefer delivery cycles, and a faster time to market for your integration projects through reuse and self-service.
- Decreased project risk and on-time delivery of integration projects.
- Higher quality delivery due to being built on existing templates and APIs, thus reducing the number of errors. Also, because C4Es promote the use of best practices and industry standards it provides faster and better delivery.
Wrapping Up
To achieve true digital transformation, people and processes are as vital as technology. Platforms like MuleSoft and Salesforce were anchored by a strong C4E that helped the companies build themselves up and even revolutionize their services. When implemented in the right way the Center for Enablement becomes a tool that guides your business through its digital transformation journey.
