---
id: "action-establish-coe"
type: "action-item"
source_timestamps: ["§ 3. Cross-department communication"]
tags: ["organizational-design", "operations"]
related: ["concept-ai-center-of-excellence", "prereq-cross-functional-talent", "entity-target"]
action: "Create a cross-functional AI Center of Excellence to standardize implementation and bridge IT with operations."
outcome: "Efficient implementation of AI projects, standardized compliance, and a robust internal talent pipeline."
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2025/01/what-companies-succeeding-with-ai-do-differently"
source_title: "What Companies Succeeding with AI Do Differently"
sources: ["execution"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-execution"
originDay: 8
articleStem: "hbr-cl-89-companies-succeeding-with-ai"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/01/what-companies-succeeding-with-ai-do-differently"
sourceTitle: "What Companies Succeeding with AI Do Differently"
---
# Establish an AI Center of Excellence

**Action:** Create a centralized, cross-silo internal organization staffed with **data scientists** to bridge IT and operations. Task this [[concept-ai-center-of-excellence|CoE]] with **standardizing processes, ensuring cybersecurity and compliance, and maintaining the AI talent pipeline**.

**Alternative:** dedicated co-located cross-functional teams inside business units (federated model) when local priorities outweigh company-wide standardization.

**Expected outcome:** Efficient implementation, standardized compliance, and a robust internal talent pipeline — see [[entity-target]].

Implements pillar #3 of [[framework-four-pillars-of-ai-success]]; depends on [[prereq-cross-functional-talent]].