Software Process and Measurement Cast

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 150! The SPaMCAST 150 features my interview Yuval Yeret. We discussed Kanban, Agile, life, the universe and everything. Ok I might have gotten a bit carried away but only a bit. SPAMCast listener ordering an AgileSparks Assessment and Management Focusing workshop by end of 2011 will get a 25% discount from list price - Mention SPAMCast when contacting AgileSparks. Yuval is leading the Kanban/Flow practice in AgileSparks, an international lean agile consulting company. He has been in the technology management world since 1994. He graduated top of class from the IDF Mamram Computer School and in the last 17 years held various management positions in IT and Product Development including several VP R&D positions, with a focus on the Networking and Storage worlds. Six years ago Yuval started used Lean/Agile thinking and practices to turn around technology organizations. On top of being a Kanban guru and nominee for the 2011 Lean SSC Brickell Key Award, Yuval is also a seasoned Scrum practitioner and CSM/CSP/CSPO. Yuval is a big believer in pragmatic best-of-breed solution design, taking the best from each approach, and not sticking to any particular Dogma. Yuval is based in Israel but you can often find him speaking and training/consulting in Europe and across the Atlantic. Contact Data: Blog: http://yuvalYeret.comWeb: http://www.agilesparks.com/Email: yuval@agilesparks.com A Word From Our Sponsor . . . THe SPaMCAST 149 is sponsored by LeanKit Kanban. LeanKit Kanban is a software tool for kanban that is as simple to use as physical kanban. If you put it up on a touchscreen in your team area, it practically IS physical kanban. But your boards are available from anywhere, and updated in real-time. A slew of colors, icons, and avatars take your visual signaling to the next level. And the system tracks the metrics for you, providing analytics on bottlenecks, lead time, work distribution, process efficiency, and variability - for a single board or a whole company. It's kanban for the Lean enterprise. Extended Free TRIAL for SPaMCAST Listeners! I have been using LeanKit Kanban for a personal project my wife and I are working on. This week I was in Canada and we could share the Kanban board across the miles with ease! I want to thank LeanKit Kanban for thier sponsorship over the past four shows. The sponsorship has helped defray some to the hosting, bandwidth costs and other administrative cost. If you are interested in being a sponsor please contact me at SPaMCASTinfo@gmail.com for a rate sheet or to discuss options. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team." Have you bought your copy? Contact information for the Software Process and Measurement Cast Email: spamcastinfo@gmail.com Voicemail: +1-206-888-6111 Website: www.spamcast.net Twitter: www.twitter.com/tcagley Facebook: http://bit.ly/16fBWV Next! SPaMCAST 151 will feature an essay on importance and urgency. They might be related but they are not the same!

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 149! The SPaMCAST 149 features my simple checklist focusing on CMMI Readiness. We look at three categories in this checklist; resources, plans and attitude. Even if you are not contemplating the CMMI this checklist will be of interest. THe SPaMCAST 149 is sponsored by LeanKit Kanban. LeanKit Kanban is a software tool for kanban that is as simple to use as physical kanban. If you put it up on a touchscreen in your team area, it practically IS physical kanban. But your boards are available from anywhere, and updated in real-time. A slew of colors, icons, and avatars take your visual signaling to the next level. And the system tracks the metrics for you, providing analytics on bottlenecks, lead time, work distribution, process efficiency, and variability - for a single board or a whole company. It's kanban for the Lean enterprise. I have been using LeanKit Kanban for a personal project my wife and I are working on. This week I was in Canada and we could share the kanban board across the miles with ease! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team." Have you bought your copy? Contact information for the Software Process and Measurement CastEmail: spamcastinfo@gmail.comVoicemail: +1-206-888-6111Website: www.spamcast.netTwitter: www.twitter.com/tcagleyFacebook: http://bit.ly/16fBWV Next!SPaMCAST 150 features my interview with Yuval Yeret. We discussed Kanban and Agile. A great interview!

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 148!The Software Process and Measurement cast 148 is sponsored by LeanKit Kanban. The interview in the SPaMCAST 148 is with Mattias Skarin. We talked about kanban, effectiveness and software development philosophy. I think it was a great interview and I hope you will like it! Biography: Mattias Skarin Sun Tzu once said the ultimate responsibility of generalship is to maneuver into a position of success. Mr Skarin asks, "How do we do this in software?" This is his quest. He works as a Lean and Kanban coach, creating systems that leverage the combined effort of many. Mattias solves problems, building people, so they can walk on your own. During his journey he has helped software teams deliver with confidence, scaled Scrum over multiple teams (cutting game cycle time from 24 months to 4) and improved life for operations and support using Kanban. He is the author of the book ”Kanban and Scrum, making the most of both” and regularly traina and coaches in Lean, Kanban and TDD. Contact information:http://www.crisp.se/mattias.skarinhttp://blog.crisp.se/ THe SPaMCAST 148 is sponsored by LeanKit Kanban. LeanKit Kanban is a software tool for kanban that is as simple to use as physical kanban. If you put it up on a touchscreen in your team area, it practically IS physical kanban. But your boards are available from anywhere, and updated in real-time. A slew of colors, icons, and avatars take your visual signalling to the next level. And the system tracks the metrics for you, providing analytics on bottlenecks, lead time, work distribution, process efficiency, and variability - for a single board or a whole company. It's kanban for the Lean enterprise. I have been using LeanKit Kanban for a personnal project my wife and I are working on. This week I was in Switzerland and we could share the kanban board accross continents with ease! Check out leankit.com/trial/spamcast to sign up for an extended free trial of LeanKit Kanban. And don't forget to download the new LeanKit iPad application in the App Store. All SPaMCAST listeners should visit and support our sponsor and thank them for helping defray the cost of providing the Software Process and Measurement Cast! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team." Have you bought your copy? If you have please post a review! Contact information for the Software Process and Measurement CastEmail: spamcastinfo@gmail.comVoicemail: +1-206-888-6111Website: www.spamcast.netTwitter: www.twitter.com/tcagleyFacebook: http://bit.ly/16fBWV Next! SPaMCAST 149 features the next entry in my Simple Checklist Series. I have titled this one, Preparing For the CMMI The Right Way. I think you will get a lot out of this essay whether you are beginning a CMMI implementation or any major change program.

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 147! The Software Process and Measurement cast 147 is sponsored by LeanKit Kanban. The essay in the SPaMCAST 147, which was edited as I flew to Zurich Switzerland, is titled Selfishness and Process Improvement. This essay suggests when marketing process changes to critical influencers you must understand the strategies they use to derive value from their career. The essay begins: Successful implementations of process improvement programs are always a reflection of a large number of tactical marketing engagements set within a larger, overarching communications or marketing program. My experience is that Process improvement implementations generally hinge on the decisions of one or a small group of critical influencers. The Prisoner’s Dilemma, a simple application of game theory can provide a framework for a proactive tactical marketing program that leverages the need of a practitioner to maximize the value of their participation in the process improvement implementation as a tool to support to their overall career goals. THe SPaMCAST 146 is sponsored by LeanKit Kanban. LeanKit Kanban is a software tool for kanban that is as simple to use as physical kanban. If you put it up on a touchscreen in your team area, it practically IS physical kanban. But your boards are available from anywhere, and updated in real-time. A slew of colors, icons, and avatars take your visual signalling to the next level. And the system tracks the metrics for you, providing analytics on bottlenecks, lead time, work distribution, process efficiency, and variability - for a single board or a whole company. It's kanban for the Lean enterprise. Sponsor! Check out leankit.com/trial/spamcast to sign up for an extended free trial of LeanKit Kanban. And don't forget to download the new LeanKit iPad application in the App Store. I ask all SPaMCAST listeners to visit and support our sponsor and thank them for helping defray the cost of providing the Software Process and Measurement Cast! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team." Have you bought your copy? If you have please post a review! Contact information for the Software Process and Measurement Cast Email: spamcastinfo@gmail.comVoicemail: +1-206-888-6111Website: www.spamcast.netTwitter: www.twitter.com/tcagleyFacebook: http://bit.ly/16fBWV Next! SPaMCAST 148 features my interview with Mattias Skarin! We discussed all topics, Kanban! If you are interested in increased effectiveness and effiecency you will be interested in the conversation with Mattias.

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 146! SPaMCAST 146 features my interview with SPaMCAST 146 features my interview with Michael West! Mr West wrote "Real Process Improvement Using the CMMI." We discussed the book and how and why the CMMI can be a tool for process improvement. Michael West has over 30 years experience innovating how software and systems are developed and delivered. Mr. West is co-founder of Natural Systems Process Improvement, a consultancy providing expertise in process and performance improvement. Mr. West is author of the 2004 book, "Real Process Improvement Using the CMMI," as well as numerous articles and presentations. Contact data: Email: michael@naturalspi.comWeb: www.naturalspi.com Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received great unsolicited reviews and the book has been picked up as a text book for university level work. Have you bought your copy? Contact information for the Software Process and Measurement CastEmail: spamcastinfo@gmail.comVoicemail: +1-206-888-6111Website: www.spamcast.netTwitter: www.twitter.com/tcagleyFacebook: http://bit.ly/16fBWV Next! The SPaMCAST 147 will feature an essay tentatively titled "Selfishness and Process Improvement." It discusses how game theory can be applied in process improvement.

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 145! In the SPaMCAST 145 we have an entry of the Metrics Minute. IFPUG Function Points are a measure of the functionality delivered by the project or application being counted based on a set of rules documented in the IFPUG Counting Practices Manual. The measure of delivered functionality is a proxy for size which can be used in estimating and measuring work. An analogy for function points is the measure of the number of square feet (or square meters) of a house. Knowing the number of square feet provides one view of the house but not other attributes such as price and number of bedrooms.Knowledge of functional size is a step in understanding development and / or maintenance effort. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team." Have you bought your copy? Contact information for the Software Process and Measurement CastEmail: spamcastinfo@gmail.comVoicemail: +1-206-888-6111Website: www.spamcast.netTwitter: www.twitter.com/tcagleyFacebook: http://bit.ly/16fBWV Next! SPaMCAST 146 features my interview with Michael West! Mr West wrote "Real Process Improvement Using the CMMI." We discussed the book and how and why the CMMI can be a tool for process improvment.

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 144! SPaMCAST 144 features my interview with Mary Lynn Penn. We discussed the CMMI, Six Sigma, Lean, SCAMPI appraisals and more! Mary Lynn Penn is the Director of Strategic Process Engineering, at Lockheed Martin Corporation, Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS), Lynn oversees policies and process command media, process compliance via audits and process improvement activities. She develops and manages compliance to multiple standards including CMMI DEV, CMMI SVC, ISO 9001/AS910, ISO 20000 and ISO 27001. Her Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Capability Maturity Model (CMM) involvement began with version 1.0 and has progressed to the current CMMI version 1.3. She has participated in multiple formal SPAs, CBA IPIs, Assessments using the Acquisition Model, Risk Evaluations and supported multiple Software Capability Evaluations per versions 1, 2, and 3. She has supported multiple assessments using both CMMI DEV and CMMI SVC. She is currently certified as a CMMI Instructor and a SCAMPI B/C Team Lead and an SEI Affiliate. She is the Industry lead for the CMMI V1.3 model release. Lynn has a BS in Mathematics from Villanova University, she has done graduate studies in Computer Science and Management Information Systems. She is a certified ISO 9000 internal auditor at Lockheed Martin. She is also a Certified Greenbelt and Blackbelt in Six Sigma and Lean Techniques. She has published a book “CMMI and Six Sigma: Partners in Process Improvement”. Please feel free to reach out the MS Penn on LinkedIn Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received great unsolicited reviews and the book has been picked up as a text book for university level work. Have you bought your copy? Contact information for the Software Process and Measurement CastEmail: spamcastinfo@gmail.comVoicemail: +1-206-888-6111Website: www.spamcast.netTwitter: www.twitter.com/tcagleyFacebook: http://bit.ly/16fBWV Next! In the SPaMCAST 145 we will return to the Metrics Minute with an overview of IFPUG Function Points!

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 143! In the SPaMCAST 143, I ask, "Do you have management support?" I recently asked many of my colleagues what they thought were the precursors to beginning a CMMI change program. Almost to a person, they began their list with senior management support which makes sense as the CMMI has become the top-down process improvement framework of choice. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team." Have you bought your copy? Contact information for the Software Process and Measurement CastEmail: spamcastinfo@gmail.comVoicemail: +1-206-888-6111Website: www.spamcast.netTwitter: www.twitter.com/tcagleyFacebook: http://bit.ly/16fBWV Next!SPaMCAST 144 features my interview with Mary Lynn Penn! We discussed the CMMI, Six Sigma, Lean, SCAMPI appraisals and more!

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 142! SPaMCAST 142 features my interview with Capers Jones. Capers is an iconic figure in the field of software measurement and estimation. In this interview, we discussed function points, value metrics, software inspections and more. As always Capers is evocative and thought-provoking. Capers Jones is currently the President and CEO of Capers Jones & Associates LLC. He is also the founder and former chairman of Software Productivity Research LLC (SPR). He holds the title of Chief Scientist Emeritus at SPR. Capers Jones founded SPR in 1984. Before founding SPR Capers was Assistant Director of Programming Technology for the ITT Corporation at the Programming Technology Center in Stratford, Connecticut. He was also a manager and researcher at IBM in California. Capers is a well-known author and international public speaker. Some of his books have been translated into six languages. All of his books are translated into Japanese and his newest books are available in Chinese editions as well. Among his book titles are Patterns of Software Systems Failure and Success (Prentice Hall 1994), Applied Software Measurement, 3rd edition; (McGraw Hill 2008), Software Quality: Analysis and Guidelines for Success (International Thomson 1997), Estimating Software Costs, 2nd edition (McGraw Hill 2007), and Software Assessments, Benchmarks, and Best Practices (Addison Wesley Longman 2000). The 3rd edition of his book Applied Software Measurement was published in the Spring of 2008. His book entitled Software Engineering Best Practices was published by McGraw Hill in October of 2009. His current book is The Economics of Software Quality with Olivier Bonsignour as co-author, Addison Wesley, 2011. Capers and his colleagues have collected historical data from more than 600 corporations and more than 30 government organizations. This historical data is a key resource for judging the effectiveness of software process improvement methods. More than 13,000 projects have been reviewed. In addition to his technical books, Mr. Jones has also received recognition as a historian after the publication of The History and Future of Narragansett Bay in 2006 by Universal Publishers. His research studies include quality estimating, quality measurement, software cost and schedule estimation, software metrics, and risk analysis. Mr. Jones has consulted at more than 150 large corporations and also at a number of government organizations such as NASA, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Courts. He has also worked with several state governments. Email: cjonesiii@cs.com Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received great unsolicited reviews and the book has been picked up as a textbook for university-level work. Have you bought your copy? Contact information for the Software Process and Measurement Cast Email: spamcastinfo@gmail.com Voicemail: +1-206-888-6111 Website: www.spamcast.net Twitter: www.twitter.com/tcagley Facebook: http://bit.ly/16fBWV Next! In the SPaMCAST 143 will deliver a checklist for use when preparing for a journey along the CMMI highway.

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 141! In the SPaMCAST 141, I ask, "Are you ready to implement agile?" It might sound like a simple question but it is imperative that you not only have an answer but a structured rational for the answer. I propose a simple quiz (part of my simple checklist series) to structure the discussion when you want to know whether you are ready or not. It should be noted that like any readiness discussion, determining whether you are ready to implement agile should be viewed as a continuum. Your journey, whether remediating issues or planning for change, shouldn’t be thought of in absolutes; approach readiness as a journey. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team." Have you bought your copy? Contact information for the Software Process and Measurement CastEmail: spamcastinfo@gmail.comVoicemail: +1-206-888-6111Website: www.spamcast.netTwitter: www.twitter.com/tcagleyFacebook: http://bit.ly/16fBWV Next! SPaMCAST 142 features my interview with Capers Jones! We discussed extending function points, his new book and how to improve quality. Capers is always thought provoking!