It’s hard to think of an industry that hasn’t had to overcome significant challenges over the last two years. Business models were upended overnight. The pressure to incorporate emerging technology, automate manual tedium, and innovate on a dime mounted by the minute. Companies were tasked with measuring productivity, output and collaboration in a hybrid, distributed environment. And the risk of quickly shifting to a laggard technology user grew FAST.

For QE leaders working in companies where virtual collaboration tools weren’t already being used, the shift was seismic. Gone were the days of in-person standup meetings or daily scrums, and the ability to peer over the shoulder of your team or hop in the conference room for a quick code review. Instead, the new norms have become logging into Teams or an equivalent tool to collaborate virtually in real time.

As we look forward, there’s still an incredible amount of uncertainty that hangs in the air.  In the QE space, some of the newest pressures include: ensuring that quality is bolted on, not built in; driving efficient and effective go-to-market product lifecycle; continually improving and accelerating velocity; and embracing a “continuous everything” mindset, among other pressures. At SQA Group, we talk about this ever-shifting QE landscape, reminding that the era of 3.0 is right around the corner. We have to get ready! More on that here.

As QE leaders, it is imperative for us to keep up with rapidly changing industry trends. Our roles are constantly evolving, requiring us to adapt to new challenges and pressures. All the while, we’re trying to cultivate the skill sets of not only ourselves but our teams.

But one of the constants amidst a sea of change, is our ability to come together as peer leaders and share and learn from one another. Whether we are forming regimented communities of practice, attending virtual events, or popping into professional training programs, our ability to come together has never been more important.

At SQA Group, we have seen the need for a space for QE leaders to come together and talk about trends, challenges, and opportunities, which is why we have created a QE Peer Group, taking place Feb. 10. You can grab your spot by clicking here. Think of it as a modern reimagining of the Medieval Guilds; a place where experts, like blacksmiths, came together to discuss new techniques that would then be spread throughout the practice and become industry standard. Today, technology moves so quickly that it can best be exchanged in a community of practice, like our QE Peer Group.

Related Reading: Forming a QA Community of Practice

While so many communities of practice are focused on a specific technology, we are excited to talk about all things quality and how it’s applied across not only the IT industry, but any company. Let’s face it: in today’s world where connection is key, and where every company requires distribution, accounting, a web presence, etc., every company is an IT company whether they realize it or not. Our QE Peer Group will be a space to exchange information about the discipline of quality, where the industry is headed, and what best practices we should be utilizing. I hope you’ll join us and feel free to reach out to me directly to learn more!

Can’t make Feb. 10 but interested in our future peer groups? Reach out to find out when we’re meeting next!