Having established the importance of the Value Creation Office (VCO) in aligning transformation with measurable value, the next step is practical: How do you build one?
While no two VCOs look identical, there are clear building blocks that underpin every successful implementation. Let’s explore these further.
Start with a clear mandate
Before building structure, define purpose. A Value Creation Office should have a clearly articulated mandate approved by senior leadership. Not as a delivery function, but as a business-critical capability focused on:
- Enterprise value realisation
- Strategic programme integration
- Prioritisation of investment and effort
- Decision enablement through insight
The VCO’s remit must go beyond project governance, aligning delivery with business strategy and intervention when value is at risk.
Five core capabilities of a high-performing VCO
A successful VCO encompasses the following:
- Strategic alignment
- Ensures initiatives support the overarching business strategy
- Acts as the connective tissue between C-suite ambition and operational execution
- Value assurance
- Tracks realisation of benefits, not just milestones
- Establishes KPIs and benefit frameworks from day one
- Cross-functional orchestration
- Breaks down silos across business units and geographies
- Promotes shared ownership and enterprise-wide accountability
- Governance and risk management
- Streamlines decision-making
- Provides early warning systems for delivery and value risks
- Stakeholder and change engagement
- Manages business readiness
- Delivers consistent and value-focused communications
Skills and leadership to complement your VCO
A Value Creation Office must be staffed with professionals who combine delivery rigour with business insight. Key roles often include:
- Head of the VCO: A senior leader, often reporting into the COO, CIO, or Transformation Director, with cross-enterprise authority
- Value leads: Responsible for coordinating delivery and value tracking across major initiatives
- Strategic PMs: Skilled in translating business needs into delivery plans with embedded metrics
- Data analysts & insight leads: Providing real-time dashboards and tracking enterprise KPIs
Critically, a successful Value Creation Office balances technical skillsets with political intelligence, able to influence, challenge, and connect across the enterprise.
Operating principles
For the VCO to thrive, firms should focus on embedding the following principles:
- Value-first governance: Decisions are made based on impact, not tradition
- Transparency and insight: Dashboards and reports must reflect true value progression
- Agility with discipline: Flexibility in delivery, but rigour in accountability
- Enterprise mindset: The VCO serves the whole business, not just IT or transformation
Ready to build?
Start small, scale fast. Pilot the Value Creation Office function on a high-priority programme and gradually expand its reach. Use the pilot to test value-tracking mechanisms, refine dashboards, and demonstrate early wins to gain enterprise buy-in.
Want to find out more about building your Value Creation Office? At Davies, we’ve worked alongside organisations of all sizes to design and embed VCOs tailored to their operating model and strategic ambitions. And in week four’s blog, we’ll share real-world case studies showing how our clients have used the VCO model to accelerate transformation, recover failing programmes, and generate lasting value.
Got questions? Get in touch with our experts to discuss your Value Creation Office.
