Nearly everyone understands that the marketing function is vital to an organization's success. However, not all folks understand the various components that must work in unison to achieve the desired organizational results. Those components include everything from proper use of data and analytics to alignment and measurement—all a part of marketing operations.

A successful marketing operations department integrates processes, technology, and performance management to help run Marketing as a fully accountable part of the business. Moreover, Marketing Operations is necessary for ensuring that Marketing operates as a center of excellence (COE).

How, exactly, can Marketing be a center of excellence? By promoting collaboration and using best-practices to drive business results. A center of excellence consists of subject-matter experts and uses methodologies and tools that enable shared learning and encourage the building of a performance-based team. By using outcome-based metrics, a center of excellence justifies the Marketing team.

So, how far along are you in making Marketing a center of excellence? Check out the following infographic to see what makes for a successful marketing operations function.