Building a Microsoft Fabric CoE That Works: What We Learned and How You Can Start

Description

Whether you’re a Microsoft Fabric/Power BI enterprise architect or a grassroots champion, learn how you can take steps towards establishing an approachable Microsoft Fabric Center of Excellence that grows with your organization. We’ll share real lessons on enablement, distributing best practices, hosting office hours, and how a simple start became a launchpad for inclusive community & governance.

Key Takeaways

• Senior Manager at Ernst & Young for 3 years
• VP Data & AI at Tallan for 22 years before that!
• Co-Founder Connecticut Power BI User Group
• FastTrack Recognized Solution Architect 2022+
• Power Platform World Tour Presenter
• Ride or DIAD (~30 Dashboard in a Days)
• 5 kids! who has time for personal interests

My Notes

Action Items

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Resources & Links

Slides

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Building a Microsoft
Fabric CoE That Works:
What We Learned and
How You Can Start
Jared Brown
Senior Manager, EY, USA
Sam Kelly
Senior Consultant, EY, USA
Jared Brown
Global Microsoft Fabric
Tech Hub Lead, EY
• Senior Manager at Ernst & Young for 3 years
• VP Data & AI at Tallan for 22 years before that!
• Co-Founder Connecticut Power BI User Group
• FastTrack Recognized Solution Architect 2022+
• Power Platform World Tour Presenter
• Ride or DIAD (~30 Dashboard in a Days)
Personal Interests:
3 for 3 Field Goals
• 5 kids! who has time for personal interests
• Lakehouse in New Hampshire, love water skiing
• Kicking field goals apparently, but really soccer
Sam Kelly
Global Microsoft Fabric
Tech Hub Co-Lead, EY
• Senior Consultant at Ernst & Young for 3
years
• Senior Consultant at Tallan for 5 years before
that!
• Co-Founder Connecticut Power BI User
Group
• DIAD Presenter (~5 Dashboard in a Days)
Personal Interests:
• All things soccer
• Traveling the world with my wife
• Spending time with my dogs
Raise your hand if
you’re an expert in…
Fabric’s complexity
encourages a collective
expertise
DAX
Custom Visuals
• Highlight the wide range of fabric
domains
• Acknowledge that expertise varies
across teams and individuals
Center of
Excellence
AutoML
Purview
UI / UX
• Foster a supportive environment for
learning and growth
Change
Management
IT / InfoSec / Cyber /
Governance
Data
Architecture
What do you call
your COE?
• Recognize terminology varies depending
on the organization
• Understand that governance frameworks
may change what you want to call your
model
• Adapt to your unique organizational
structure and culture
The name matters less than
the outcomes
Center of
Excellence
Tech Hub
Community
of Practice
Center of
Growth
Enablement
Hub
Center for
Enablement
Defining your outcome: Start with a Vision
“To establish a world-class Center of Excellence that leads
innovation, drives talent growth, and enables customer
transformation through the full potential of Microsoft Fabric;
Positioning our CoE as a trusted partner through our
Microsoft Alliance for organizations adopting its data and AI
technologies.”
From Feeling Overwhelmed to Scalable Impact
(stay strong, it is part of the journey, rites of passage)
Growing Pains
Solution
Result
• Growing Fabric Adoption
• Inconsistent Standards
• Burnout for “go-to” experts
• Same questions from many
• Specialized Expertise
• Clear Guidelines
• Scalable Support
• Continuous Improvement
• Niche Experts
• Centralized Documentation
• Separation of
Responsibilities
• Creation of Pillars
COE Pillars
Leadership &
Sponsorship
Subject Matter Experts
Solutions & Delivery
(reusable materials?)
Learning &
Certification
Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion
Leadership &
Sponsorship
Leadership &
Sponsorship
Clear Executive Support
Alignment to Business Outcomes
• Visibility and Commitment
• Strategic Focus
• Resource Allocation
• Performance Metrics
• Decision Making
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Role Modeling
• Value Realization
Risk Management
Change Management
• Calculated Risk Taking
• Cultural Transformation
• Compliance & Governance
• Training and Development
• Continuous Improvement
• Communication Strategy
• Feedback Mechanisms
Leadership helping overcome common pitfalls:
Helping shift the dynamic and embrace new opportunities
You may have heard these before:
• “This is how we always did it”
• “How do I export this to excel?”
• “If its not broken don’t fix it”
• “Can I just access silver layer directly?”
Things to consider:
• Embracing change with decisiveness
• Recognizing and driving cultural changes
• Leading the charge, step up!
How do you approach these questions?
Leading Change: The New Playbook
“Leadership is about enabling others to thrive in change”
Subject Matter Experts Champions
Subject Matter
Champions
Reporting & Analytics
Governance
• Data Foundation & Modeling
• Platform Governance
• Visualization & Storytelling
• Data Governance
• Quality & Enablement
• DevOps & Administration
• Insight Acceleration & Reusability
Data Engineering
AI & Data Services
• Data Ingestion & Integration
• Machine Learning
• Data Transformation & Modeling
• Context Engineering
• Monitoring & Optimization
• Agents Engineering
• Data Platform & Architecture
• Model Evaluation
Azure Administration
Microsoft Entra
Network Infrastructure
• Capacity Procurement
• License Management
• Securing Connectivity
Fabric
Reporting & Analytics
Governance
• Data Foundation & Modeling
• Platform Governance
• Visualization & Storytelling
• Data Governance
• Quality & Enablement
• DevOps & Administration
• Insight Acceleration & Reusability
Data Engineering
AI & Data Services
• Data Ingestion & Integration
• Machine Learning
• Data Transformation & Modeling
• Context Engineering
• Monitoring & Optimization
• Agents Engineering
• Data Platform & Architecture
• Model Evaluation
Integrations
• Data Source Connections
• Power Platform
Copilot Studio
The Community Continues to
Grow!
• Multi-Agent Orchestration
• Agent Flexibility
Solutions & Delivery
Solutions & Delivery
Reusable Patterns
Setting Guardrails, Not Gates
• Standardization
• Flexibility
• Efficiency
• Empowerment
• Scalability
• Risk Management
• Continuous Improvement
Real-World Use Cases
Collaboration and Communication
• Practical Insights
• Cross-Functional Teams
• User-Centric Approach
• Transparent Process
• Demonstrated Value
• Feedback Mechanism
• Inspiration for Innovation
• Knowledge Sharing Platforms
Accelerators That
Scale
• Accelerators guide your journey,
reducing detours and delays.
Reference
Frameworks
• Leverage proven frameworks to maintain
momentum and quality
Open-Source
Tools
• Focus your energy on innovation, not
reinvention
• What accelerators have helped you
move faster?
• Poll:
Data Ingestion
Frameworks
Monitoring
Frameworks
“Don’t start from zero – accelerate with what’s already built”
Recent Needs We’ve
Observed
Data Modeling Assistance
Challenge
Challenge
Complexity in designing data models
Need
Best Practices and Tools
Impact
Improved Consistency
AI-Ready Data Preparation
Data Modeling Assistance
Challenge
Preparing data for AI tools
Engagement and adoption
Need
Need
Frameworks for data enrichment
Impact
User experience design and training
Impact
Enhanced AI Insights
End-User satisfaction and increased
use of reporting
Driving Success Through Targeted Support
Make the Right Thing
the Easy Thing
• Ensure Consistency and
Quality
• Facilitate collaboration
and knowledge sharing
• Reduce Risk and
Accelerate delivery
timelines
Standards Tomorrow
Standards Today
• Workspace Lifecycle
Management
• Capacity Estimation &
Procurement
• SDLC Alignment
• Workspace Lifecycle
Management
• Capacity Estimation &
Procurement
• SDLC Alignment
• Security and Compliance
• Naming Conventions
• Metadata Standards
• Performance Monitoring
• Optimization
• Responsible AI
“Documentation is a product – crafted, maintained, and essential for scalable, repeatable
success”
Learning & Certification
Learning &
Certification
Career Path Definition
• Establish clear professional tracks:
• Data Engineer: Pipelines, notebooks,
Buddy Mentoring Program: Coaching/Training
• Mentoring and Coaching:
• Pair seniors with junior talent to
foster continuous learning,
project-based guidance, and
career acceleration.
Lakehouse, etc.
• Data Viz Engineer: Power BI, data
modeling, UX design, etc.
• AI Engineer: Integrating AI services and
automation within Fabric.
Upskill and Certify
• Achieve widespread certification in Microsoft
Fabric roles, focusing on
Continuous Learning Culture
• Continuous Learning Culture:
• Create always-on learning
ecosystem through internal
workshops, learning paths
focused on Fabric Innovations.
• PL-300
• DP-600
• DP-700
Microsoft Fabric CoE: Talent Development – Fabric Academy
Fabric Up-skilling
Role
Fabric Cross-skilling
Certification
Role
Mentoring Program
Up-skilling
program
PL-300
Viz Engineer
Certification
Viz Engineer
Certification OnePagers
Data Engineer
DP-600
DP-700
Fabric + Power BI
Monthly Updates
Data Engineer
Hands-on projects
AI-102
DP-600
POCs
AI-102
AI Engineer
DP-700
PL-300
AI Engineer
Leveraging the
Ecosystem
• Which resources do you all find the most
valuable and why?
• Poll:
• Challenging all of you to try a new
activity this month in the ecosystem!
“A COE doesn’t replace the community – it plugs into it”
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion
Geographic Diversity
Learning Style Inclusivity
• Global Perspectives
• Personalized Learning Paths
• Cultural Awareness
• Localized Mentorship Programs
• Time Zone Flexibility
• Feedback-Driven Approach
• Localized Solutions
• Accessible Resources
Career Path Diversity
Inclusive Decision-Making
• Varied Career Tracks
• Diverse Leadership Teams
• Promotion of Underrepresented Groups
• Collaborative Environment
• Skill Development Initiatives
• Equitable Policies
• Success Stories
• Impact Measurement
Starting Small, Growing
Intentionally: Building an
Inclusive Foundation
Small Wins
Pilot Phase
Pilot Phase
Inclusion
Inclusion
Inclusion
“Inclusive growth starts with intentional steps and celebrates every milestone”
Where Opportunity Shows Up: Encouraging Growth Beyond Comfort Zones
“Growth starts outside your comfort zone. Learn something new, learn something about others”
Inclusion is the
Multiplier
Grounding
A Center if Excellence is made successful
by people, not tools or processes.
Embrace participation from everyone for of the
diversity they can bring:
Diverse roles
Diverse skills
Diverse backgrounds
Diverse perspective
Common purpose
One Center of Excellence
“Start where you are. Build with intention. Grow together.”
COE Pillars
Leadership &
Sponsorship
Subject Matter
Champions
Solutions & Delivery
(reusable materials?)
Learning &
Certification
Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion
How We Operate &
How We Have Grown
How it began:
• Connecticut Power BI User Group
• Weekly Governance Office Hours
Where we are now:
• Global Monthly Meetings
• Weekly Office Hours by Regional Hubs
• Sandbox and Support Intake
• Training / Study Groups
• Certification Reimbursement
What’s next?
The COE is a Living
Thing: Adapt to Thrive
Why are things always changing?
• Power BI
• Fabric
• Development approaches
How to handle this:
• Change your CoE model as your team changes
• Proactively Identify crisis patterns
• Utilize office hours intentionally
• Establish Feedback & Self-Evaluation loops
“Adaptability is the lifeblood of a thriving COE”
Microsoft Fabric CoE: Goals & Objectives
The Microsoft Fabric Center of Excellence (CoE) is designed to accelerate the adoption of Microsoft Fabric across our firm and our
clients. By combining talent development, reusable assets, and advanced methodologies, the CoE creates measurable business impact.
Core Objectives
Talent
Development
Community
of Practice
Staying at The
Cutting Edge
Assets and
Knowledge Hub
Go-To-Market
Strategy
▪ Continuous learning
programs focused on
Azure and Fabric
technologies.
▪ Collaborative spaces to
share learnings, use
cases, and best
practices.
▪ Monthly tracking of
new features, technical
changes, and adoption
opportunities.
▪ Documentation of
architecture, security,
governance, and
automation patterns.
▪ Role-based technical
certifications (e.g.,
architecture, data
engineering, security).
▪ Regular sessions to
review progress, solve
challenges, and foster
innovation.
▪ Impact assessment
and pilot planning for
new capabilities.
▪ Centralized repository
of reusable solutions
and technical
accelerators.
▪ Enabling sales and
consulting services
success on new
pursuits and client
conversations.
▪ Mentoring, coaching,
and career path
planning for cloudfocused roles
▪ Integration with
external communities
(Microsoft Learn,
GitHub).
▪ Structured
communication of
updates to technical
and business teams.
▪ Ongoing evaluation of
practices against
Microsoft and industry
standards.
▪ Sales assets, enablers
and support for
ongoing client delivery
and pursuits
Maturity Roadmap:
People, Projects, and the COE
100:
Initial
▪ Establish
foundational
awareness and
initial use cases
Months 0 - 2
200:
Repeatable
▪ Implement
repeatable
processes and
basic governance
Months 3 - 4
300:
Defined
500:
Efficient
400:
Capable
▪ Standardize
methodologies,
documentation,
and best practices
▪ Measure
performance,
optimize delivery,
and integrate
advanced tools
Months 5 - 7
Months 8 - 10
▪ Achieve full
operational
excellence and
continuous
innovation
Months 10 -12
Sound off.
The mic is all yours.
Influence the product roadmap.
Join the Fabric User Panel
Join the SQL User Panel
Share your feedback directly with our
Fabric product group and researchers.
Influence our SQL roadmap and ensure
it meets your real-life needs
https://aka.ms/JoinFabricUserPanel
https://aka.ms/JoinSQLUserPanel