CoE governance across the project spectrum: Driving success at every stage
Successful project implementation relies on more than just execution—it demands governance, strategy, and adaptability across the entire lifecycle. Whether you're implementing a workforce management (WFM) solution or enhancing it with cutting-edge features, the Centre of Excellence (CoE) governance structure serves as a cornerstone for driving long-term success.
In this blog, we’ll explore the three key phases of WFM project implementation: the implementation phase, the go-live phase, and the optimisation and maintenance phase, highlighting how a well-structured CoE can drive measurable outcomes at each stage.
The implementation phase: Laying the foundation for success
1. Project team integration
To ensure seamless project delivery, the project team and the CoE governance team must collaborate effectively while maintaining distinct roles. The project team is responsible for operational execution, including managing timelines, allocating resources, and addressing day-to-day challenges to keep the project on track. The CoE, on the other hand, provides strategic oversight by establishing governance frameworks, defining best practises, mitigating risks, ensuring compliance, and offering specialised expertise to align projects with organisational objectives. By combining the tactical focus of the project team with the strategic safeguards and guidance of the CoE, organisations can achieve efficient execution, proactive risk management, and optimised outcomes for long-term success.
2. Risk management: Preventing pitfalls
Risk mitigation becomes vital during implementation, and the CoE provides a structured framework to identify, assess, and manage risks throughout the project lifecycle. Key steps include:
- Risk identification: Pinpoint potential issues like data migration challenges or regulatory compliance concerns.
- Risk assessment: Use tools like risk matrices to prioritise risks based on severity and probability.
- Mitigation strategies: Develop contingency plans, implement control measures, and monitor risks proactively.
This systematic approach reduces disruptions and ensures smooth project progression.
3. Change management: Shaping mindsets, not just tools
Transformational change isn’t just about introducing new technology—it’s about reshaping mindsets and redefining how work gets done. A workforce management technology initiative presents a unique opportunity to go beyond simply implementing tools and software. It’s a chance to reimagine workflows, optimise pay practices, and align policies to support a more efficient and forward-thinking organisation. By engaging stakeholders early and meaningfully, the CoE ensures alignment and drives adoption at every level, turning potential resistance into shared ownership of success. Key strategies include:
- Workflow and policy redesign and standardisation: Reimagine workflows for efficiency and standardise policies to unify your organisation’s approach.
- Stakeholder engagement: Actively listen to frontline users and incorporate their feedback.
- Training and support: Equip users with tools and resources needed during and after implementation.
- Clear communication: Keep stakeholders informed of what’s changing, when, and why to maintain transparency and accountability at every phase.
Effective change management ensures that employees not only use the new tools but also embrace the workflows that enable greater efficiency and innovation.
4. Quality assurance: Building confidence in delivery
Quality assurance isn't just about testing—it’s about maintaining meticulous documentation and governance. Every configuration decision should be traceable, approved, and logged systematically. Regular communication between the project team and CoE ensures alignment on testing, integration, and potential timeline adjustments.
With a strong focus on quality control, organisations can eliminate costly mistakes and deliver a solution that meets user expectations.
The go-live phase: Putting preparation to the test
The go-live phase marks the culmination of months of hard work and collaboration. It typically spans several weeks, starting when the system is made available to end users and continuing through the first few pay cycles and schedule periods. This phase is the project's most critical point, acting as the ultimate test to determine if the preparations, training, and system capabilities can manage operational data flows accurately and efficiently once activated. Success should be assessed objectively with clear, measurable metrics that are communicated to all project levels, including governance, executive sponsors, and across the organisation.
1. Go-live success metrics: Measuring adoption over efficiency
The CoE plays a key role in determining the initial indicators of a successful implementation. Metrics will evolve over time but should initially be focused more on user adoption and effective configuration and less on cost savings or labour efficiencies. Examples of valuable metrics include:
- Number of service tickets: Track issues and resolutions to identify trends.
- Training completion rates: Evaluate participation across management and non-management levels.
- System engagement: Monitor daily logins and missed punches.
- Payroll accuracy: Measure the number of corrections required.
- Monitoring new workflows: Self-scheduling compliance, employee attestations, effective resource allocation processes, etc.
Daily reporting to the CoE provides visibility into adoption and performance, allowing for timely adjustments.
2. Issue resolution: Maintaining user engagement
During go-live, a surge in service tickets is a common challenge, but it’s also an invaluable opportunity to uncover patterns and address underlying trends that may impact the broader organisation. The CoE not only ensures sufficient resources are deployed to resolve individual issues swiftly—whether through temporary support or reallocating existing resources—it also analyses these tickets to identify recurring themes. By addressing these trends at their root, the CoE drives more global, long-term solutions that enhance user experiences, boost engagement, and ensure sustained adoption across the organisation.
3. Communication strategy: Keeping everyone in the loop
A clear communication strategy is essential to relay updates, educational resources, and troubleshooting steps. The CoE ensures that governance leaders, stakeholders, and end users are kept informed throughout the go-live phase, fostering transparency and buy-in.
Example of go-live daily communication flow:
Optimisation and maintenance phase: Sustaining, evolving, and future-proofing success
The go-live phase is just the beginning of the WFM solution’s lifecycle. To ensure long-term success, the CoE leads efforts to adapt the solution to evolving organisational needs, regulatory shifts, and technological advancements. This phase transforms the WFM solution into a dynamic, future-proof asset that drives operational excellence.
1. Continuous performance monitoring and proactive optimisation
Transitioning from go-live metrics to meaningful key performance indicators (KPIs) is the foundation for sustained success. By analysing workforce data and trends, the CoE identifies bottlenecks and fine-tunes workflows to enhance operational efficiency and employee engagement. This proactive approach ensures the WFM solution performs optimally over time.
2. Demonstrating ROI and continuous value realisation
Demonstrating measurable return on investment (ROI) and overall impact of the solution is critical to sustaining stakeholder confidence and securing future investments. The CoE tracks KPIs such as labour cost savings, scheduling accuracy, and absenteeism reductions, complemented by qualitative insights like employee satisfaction. ROI-focused storytelling—highlighting efficiency gains and cost reductions—showcases the system’s value and ensures alignment with strategic goals.
3. Structured governance and agile adaptation
The CoE implements a disciplined yet flexible governance framework to manage change effectively. Regular governance meetings address challenges, prioritise enhancements, and ensure updates align with business needs. Collaboration across functions—HR, IT, operations, and compliance—ensures that the WFM solution evolves in harmony with broader organisational goals.
4. Release notes review and feature enhancement evaluation
As technology providers roll out system updates, the CoE takes a strategic approach to evaluating release notes for new features and enhancements. By aligning updates with business priorities, they ensure these advancements are implemented effectively and with minimal disruption. Tailored training, communication plans, and change management strategies help the organisation maximise the value of these updates while staying at the forefront of innovation.
5. Strategic communication and stakeholder engagement
Clear, consistent communication and active stakeholder engagement are essential to the success of the WFM solution. The CoE fosters trust by providing updates tailored to diverse audiences, from high-level insights for leadership to actionable details for operational teams. Transparent reporting on system performance, risks, and new capabilities ensures alignment across the organisation and drives accountability.
Equally important, the CoE empowers employees and managers to adopt and champion the system through ongoing training, user feedback, and collaboration. By listening to workforce needs and continuously improving the solution, the CoE fosters a culture of engagement and ownership that supports widespread adoption and long-term success. This integrated approach to communication and engagement builds trust, drives buy-in, and ensures the WFM solution truly meets the organisation's needs.
6. Driving innovation and future alignment
The CoE ensures the WFM solution remains a competitive advantage by proactively integrating emerging trends like automation and machine learning. By aligning technology with long-term objectives, the CoE prepares the organisation to meet evolving market demands and workforce expectations.
Beyond maintenance: A commitment to excellence
The optimisation phase is not just about keeping the lights on—it’s about driving continuous value and preparing for the future. Through proactive monitoring, innovation, and alignment with strategy, the CoE ensures the WFM solution remains a dynamic asset that supports the organisation’s long-term success.
Conclusion: Building a future-ready CoE
The Centre of Excellence is more than a governance framework—it's the backbone of successful project implementation, adoption, and optimisation. By integrating the CoE across the project spectrum, organisations can drive innovation, enhance user engagement, and ensure their solutions remain adaptable to evolving needs.
As you embark on your next project, invest in sustaining and evolving your CoE model. With structured governance, continuous improvement, and shared accountability, the CoE becomes an engine for transformation, enabling your organisation to achieve lasting success.
If you missed the other blogs in this series, check them out here:
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