Making Excellence Repeatable: A CIO Playbook for Modern COEs in a Volatile World

This IDC Perspective looks at a CIO playbook for modern center of excellence (COE). As disruption, uncertainty, and rapid technological advances redefine the global business landscape, CIOs must reinvent their approach to digital strategy and IT leadership. Modern centers of excellence are proving indispensable in this journey - serving not merely as technical hubs but as enterprise engines for business transformation, operational excellence, and innovation. This IDC Perspective helps CIOs, senior IT executives, and business leaders understand how COEs integrate expertise, governance, and learning. This integration enables organizations to better manage disruptions, accelerate their time to value, and maintain a strong and resilient stance amid market volatility and ongoing digital transformation.To unlock the full potential of COEs, technology leaders must architect adaptive frameworks that span governance, data quality, knowledge sharing, and cultural agility. From driving platform standardization, change management, and vendor partnerships to empowering teams and accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies like AI, automation, and cloud, COEs act as force multipliers for resilience and competitive success. By following the best practices and actionable guidance within this document, CIOs will be prepared to create, scale, and continuously evolve COEs that deliver measurable business impact and sustain strategic advantage."In a volatile digital economy, COEs are the engines of innovation, transformation, and resilience," says Serge Findling, adjunct research advisor with IDC's IT Executive Programs (IEP). "COEs harmonize governance, agility, and security to transform uncertainty into sustained competitive advantage."