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In traditional organizations, Centers of Excellence (CoEs) were specialized units responsible for all aspects of testing, ensuring that software met the highest quality standards before release. These CoEs were essential, taking responsibility and providing the expertise and resources needed to conduct thorough testing. However, the rise of Agile methodologies has shifted testing responsibilities to the team, promoting a culture where quality assurance (QA) is a shared team responsibility. This shift raises a pertinent question: Are CoEs still relevant in an Agile world?
Many organizations struggle to adapt their QA and testing practices to fit Agile frameworks. The transition often results in the loss of testing expertise (in the shift to Agile, testing roles were canceled due to team responsibility and “quality built in”), with teams under immense pressure to deliver business features rapidly. Although QA is supposed to be a joint responsibility, it often falls through the cracks, with no single entity truly accountable. This presents an ideal opportunity to reinvent the CoE, transforming it into a modern, Agile-compatible entity that can address these challenges effectively and guide and enable teams to organize their quality measures.
Scaled Agile organizations, particularly, can significantly benefit from a redefined Center of Expertise in Quality Engineering (QE). This modern CoE can integrate quality engineers as dedicated team members within Agile teams while also being part of the CoE. This dual role can enhance both team performance and organizational QA standards. A modern CoE in QE would have six primary tasks:
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Managing resource capacity at the organizational level goes beyond balancing the number of quality engineers across teams. It also involves identifying imbalances in the availability of critical knowledge and expertise. For example, teams may lack experience in defining a QE strategy, applying specific testing approaches, or addressing specialized domains such as performance, security, or test data management. These knowledge gaps are often temporary but can be crucial during specific phases of delivery.
The CoE plays a key role in anticipating both quantitative and qualitative needs. It can foresee where there is an excess or shortage of QE capacity, but also where specific expertise will be required at certain moments in time. By proactively addressing these imbalances, the CoE ensures that teams are not only sufficiently staffed but also equipped with the right capabilities to deliver quality effectively.
Advising teams, therefore, extends beyond hiring strategies. The CoE should guide teams in developing the right competencies by recommending targeted training, coaching, and skill development paths. This helps teams build sustainable in-house expertise while reducing dependency on external support. In doing so, the CoE strengthens both immediate delivery capability and long-term organizational maturity in Quality Engineering.
The CoE should establish clear guidelines on quality and testing and support teams in adhering to these standards. For reasons of efficiency, knowledge sharing, sustainability, and end-to-end alignment, standards should be formulated as the preferred way of working.
This involves more than just dictating what teams should do; it requires actively showing them how to implement these practices effectively. The CoE can develop services that facilitate adherence to these standards, providing practical tools and methods that integrate seamlessly into the teams’ workflows. So teams can be enabled to take responsibility for quality.
Agile teams occasionally require specialized expertise in areas such as test data management, performance testing, or security testing. The CoE can offer temporary expert support in these cases, ensuring that teams have access to the knowledge they need without having to possess all the skills internally. Teams should plan their need for such expertise in advance, allowing the CoE to allocate resources efficiently. But also ad hoc expertise to help out when automation fails, for example, due to new releases, integrations, etc.
Continuous improvement is essential in Agile environments. The CoE should focus on enhancing both people and processes, constantly seeking ways to optimize workflows and help team members develop their skills, and make sure that learning is not limited to singular teams but covers the whole organization. This could involve regular training sessions, workshops, and feedback loops that promote a culture of learning and development within the QE domain.
Innovation should stem from both individual teams and the CoE. With its broader organizational perspective, the CoE can identify innovative practices within teams and scale these across the organization. This ensures that successful strategies and technologies are shared and implemented widely, fostering a culture of continuous innovation.
Monitoring and control are critical for maintaining quality standards. The CoE should integrate team-level monitoring into an organizational overview, making this data easily accessible to all stakeholders. By doing so, the CoE can identify trends, spot issues early, and provide insights that help maintain consistent quality across all teams. This holistic view is crucial for proactively addressing problems and ensuring quality remains a top priority.
In summary, while Agile methodologies have decentralized testing responsibilities, a redefined CoE in Quality Engineering can provide the necessary support, expertise, and oversight to maintain high standards. By focusing on resource capacity, standards and services, expert support, continuous improvement, innovation, and monitoring and control, a modern CoE can elevate your organization’s quality assurance practices, driving both efficiency and innovation. With the right mindset and skilled personnel, a CoE in QE can be a cornerstone of success in a modern Agile organization still following the principles of team responsibility.
Published: 29 May 2026Authors: Wouter Ruigrok Jan-Willem van den Brink
