Accelerating a Center of Excellence with SS&C Blue Prism University

[Gary_Clarke]

At the heart of successful automation programs lies a sturdy Center of Excellence (CoE) - a dedicated team that sets the governance, standards, and strategic direction for Intelligent Automation (IA).

SS&C Blue Prism University plays a pivotal role in empowering CoE teams through structured, comprehensive training, enabling them to scale automation efficiently and confidently.

Building a Center of Excellence (CoE): Why It Matters

Think of your IA program as a home - a CoE acts as the foundation, ensuring success for the rest of the necessary features. At a base level, a home needs secure walls, level flooring, reliable roofing, and other components for plumbing, electricity, and insulation. Your CoE, serving as that strong foundation, allows for elements to be built on top of it. CoE’s establish how processes are identified, designed, built, and deployed, while serving as the primary liaison between business units and IT. Whether processes are delivered directly by the CoE or through federated business units, the CoE ensures governance, consistency, and scalability of automation.

If you’re looking to start your own CoE, the following are some key responsibilities your team might want to include:

• Establishing automation standards and governance
• Educating and upskilling teams
• Overseeing automation infrastructure in collaboration with IT
• Driving innovation and continuous improvement

To ensure that your IA program “home” has that level floor, and those secure walls built atop it, leading all the way up to the roofing, your CoE needs to be both business-led and IT-supported. When strategic goals align with operational capabilities, the CoE serves as the basis for IA programs to thrive.

But as is with any new home build, assembling the right team for the program is where the journey truly begins.

Laying the Foundation: Roles Within the CoE

To deliver value, the CoE must comprise clearly defined roles, each contributing to the end-to-end automation lifecycle.

• Head of Automation – Strategic owner of the IA vision, responsible for managing the CoE, engaging stakeholders, and aligning efforts with business goals.
• Developer – Builds and configures automations, ensuring processes are efficient, maintainable, and aligned to Blue Prism standards.
• Process Controller – Manages live automations, ensuring operational efficiency and resolving technical issues.
• Process Analyst – Documents business processes, collaborates with developers and SMEs, and ensures business needs are translated into technical requirements.
• Technical Architect – Designs infrastructure solutions, ensures security compliance, and supports scalability.
• Additional roles – These may include Test Analysts, Solution Designers, Release Managers, and Installation Engineers - each vital for specialized aspects of IA delivery.

Depending on your organization’s maturity and needs, team members may initially wear multiple hats. We recommend using a responsibility assignment matrix (RACI) to help segregate duties effectively.

Recruiting and Training: Setting Your Team Up for Success

When forming a CoE, organizations must choose between internal promotion or external recruitment. Both bring benefits to the table:

• Internal candidates often contribute strong business insight, initiative, and adaptability. Look for tech-savvy individuals with process knowledge and a desire to learn.
• External hires can supply in-depth IA experience and help fast-track both CoE setup and complex automation delivery.

Regardless of the path, training is non-negotiable. This is where our team at SS&C Blue Prism University comes in.

SS&C Blue Prism University: The Catalyst for CoE Enablement

Blue Prism University provides a comprehensive suite of eLearning, instructor-led training, and certification paths designed for every CoE role, from foundational learning to advanced automation techniques. Our role-based learning plans are tailored to Developers, Analysts, Process Controllers, and more.

To validate skills at every stage, including Associate Developer, Developer, and Professional Developer levels, learners are encouraged to certify their knowledge. Those seeking more specialized training will find that our modules for Robotic Operating Model™ (ROM2), security integration, login agents, and credentials management will aid in that understanding.

Knowing that engagement and comprehension are unique to each student, our inclusive variety of educational offerings and services lead to a rounded, evergreen learning journey.

Driving Long-Term Value with Your CoE

A well-trained, well-structured CoE delivers perceptible and significant benefits to organizations. High-value automation opportunities can be identified and prioritized via elevated process ideation. Quality and compliance across automations are then able to be expertly maintained by governance teams. One crucial element, risk mitigation, allows for the early identification and addressing of project risks when the right training has been utilized. Tap into the innovation that has an opportunity to flourish when your upskilled CoE fosters a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement. Lastly, this technology enablement can keep teams ahead of the curve by productively evaluating and integrating emerging capabilities.

SS&C Blue Prism’s tools and training are essential in enabling these outcomes. With the right team, structure, and learning culture, your CoE becomes the underpinning for enterprise-wide automation success.

Next Steps: Establishing Your Intelligent Automation Journey

Starting small but thinking big is key. Engage an executive sponsor and, with support from SS&C Blue Prism experts or partners, define your CoE structure. Leverage Blue Prism University to upskill your team and discover just how endless growth potential can be.

With a strategic approach to learning and development, your organization can build a CoE that not only delivers today’s automation needs but evolves into a sustainable engine for digital transformation.