Enterprises continue to invest heavily in software to streamline operations, enhance employee experience, and drive customer engagement, yet adoption is often the missing link between technology investments and measurable business outcomes. This is where digital adoption platforms (DAPs) come into play.

DAPs help users navigate complex digital and AI-powered environments by offering contextual guidance, automation, and analytics. But despite their promise, many DAP initiatives stall or fail to scale due to fragmented ownership, inconsistent execution, and lack of strategic alignment. To overcome these challenges, forward-thinking organizations are establishing centers of enablement (COEs) dedicated to DAPs.

The Problem: Siloed DAPs Deliver Fragmented Value

Without a centralized strategy, different departments deploy different DAPs inconsistently, creating:

  • Redundant efforts and wasted resources.
  • Poor UX due to inconsistent guidance.
  • Limited visibility into adoption metrics across the enterprise.

The Solution: Strategic Alignment Through Centralization

A COE creates a unified framework for DAP deployment and governance. It aligns DAP initiatives by directly supporting business objectives, such as:

  • Improving employee productivity by reducing friction in digital workflows.
  • Accelerating software ROI through better usage and engagement.
  • Enhancing change management by supporting users during transitions.

While centralization has clear benefits, overcentralization can inhibit creativity and effectiveness. Tailor the COE to serve your digital adoption priorities. Avoid COEs that are resource-heavy and choose hybrid models that centralize core functions and governance, but allow decentralized management for operational effectiveness.

The Impact: From Point Solutions To Enterprise Enablement

COEs unify ownership, governance, expertise, and best practices, transforming DAPs from tactical tools to an enterprisewide enablement layer. This becomes critical as AI-powered solutions proliferate: Employees need consistent support to work effectively with rapidly evolving technologies. A COE for DAPs helps you:

  • Scale. Replicate successful implementations across teams and geographies through centralized framework and knowledge management.
  • Innovate. Balance rapid experimentation with enterprise governance, ensuring compliance while meeting emerging user needs.
  • Measure. Track adoption KPIs centrally, validate DAP goals periodically, and continuously optimize resource allocation.

Organizations that invest in a DAP COE position their organizations to scale digital transformation and realize full technology investment value. Our research, Scale Your DAP Initiatives With A Functional Center Of Enablement, discusses the challenges in setting up COEs and outlines best practices to build a functional COE to scale DAPs for your enterprise.

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