Excellence | Software Excellence Alliance

The 5 Keys to Crushing Technical Debt and Reclaiming the Joy in Engineering

Tech Talk, Past Presentation

The March 2023 tech talk was presented by Alan Willett and Julia Mullaney

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Abstract

Are you feeling weighed down by technical debt? Are you tired of constantly putting out fires and struggling to keep your systems running smoothly? It’s time to reclaim the joy in engineering! In this talk, we will explore the five key strategies for crushing technical debt and bringing back the enjoyment to your work. We’ll also delve into the seven types of technical debt, including gordian knots, trap doors, barnacle ware, and more, and show you how to identify and tackle each one. Join us and learn how to eliminate technical debt and rediscover the satisfaction of building high-quality systems.

About the Presenters

Alan Willett is a globe-trotting Principal helping organizations to improve the speed and power of their engines of development. Alan is the award-winning author of Lead with Speed and Leading the Unleadable.

Alan Willett was the youngest of six kids on a dairy farm in Hunt, NY, which was (and still is) about a 30-minute drive to any stoplight. In Alan’s opinion, a stop sign would be okay in that town. The stoplight is a bit of high-tech overkill. The dairy farm has been in the family for almost 200 years. In Alan’s teenage years, the farm won Dairy Farm of the Year multiple times, while other farms failed. Alan learned how to be lucky by using data, technology, hard work, and logical decision-making.

After the farm, Alan went to Rochester Institute of Technology. There, he ran track and cross-country. He actually did run across the country with his team. The team was in the Guinness Book of World Records for running a relay from ocean to ocean in record time. While at college, as a side hobby to his athletics, he received a degree in computer science, which later became a Master’s degree.

When Alan started working in the high-tech world of high-pressure product development, he found that most of the projects used data much less than they did on the farm. On his projects, he put into place the use of data and logical decision-making. His travels eventually took him to work at the world-renowned Software Engineering Institute, the think tank of the world on high-tech development work. There, he was able to work with many of the geniuses that have pushed the state of the art. He worked with and was good friends with the late Watts Humphrey.

Julia Mullaney has been involved with software excellence since starting her career at IBM in 1988. At IBM, she was instrumental in process improvement efforts, having a major role in defining and implementing defect prevention, for which she won the IBM Quality Award.

At the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), Julia was a key contributor to the Personal Software Process℠ (PSP℠) and Team Software Process℠ (TSP℠) through the development of training, certification, licensing, and applied research at leading software organizations. She was fortunate to take the first PSP class from her mentor, Watts Humphrey. Julia is currently the chair for the IEEE CS/SEI Watts Humphrey Quality Award and also sits on the IEEE CS Awards Committee.

Julia’s passion is software excellence, and she has been channeling that passion into growing the Software Excellence Alliance (SEA) as the SEA Executive Committee Leader and as a member of SEA Website & Social Media working group. She previously chaired the Working Group Training working group.

Application of Statistical and Other Quantitative Techniques in Software

Tech Talk, Past Presentation

The February 2023 tech talk was presented by Stephen Shook

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Abstract

The CMMI has long emphasized use of “statistical and other quantitative techniques” as a best practice for software work. Many organizations struggle with how to apply those techniques. (The ISHPI AIS Division did, too.) What techniques should we use? What business problems will these help us to solve? And, most importantly, what really adds value? This presentation provides a survey of the techniques that we use, and how we use them. Examples include linear regression, prediction intervals, control charts, histograms, and tests for statistical significance. ISHPI will discuss how they apply “quantitative and statistical techniques” in their software work, along with the underlying data and examples from individuals, project teams, and the overall organization.

About the Presenter

Stephen Shook, ISHPI’s Vice President of Software Engineering and Quality, brings more than 25 years of experience in senior management, business development, development management, project management, software engineering, and implementation of Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI®). He is one of the principal architects of ISHPI’s award-winning Agile High Velocity Development℠ software development methodology, which is appraised at CMMI Development Maturity Level 5. As an experienced instructor, coach, consultant, and subject matter expert, he leads and mentors software teams to achieve exceptional cost, schedule, and quality performance in order to achieve customer business goals. Stephen has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Illinois.

Implementing a Strategy for Excellence

Tech Talk, Past Presentation

The January 2023 tech talk was presented by Seemin Suleri

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Abstract

In our pursuit of excellence, we built a strategy that matched the ambition of a competitive e-commerce business. The problem was, where do we start the work: A struggling software department with high attrition and low engagement, a software system that was falling apart, a monolith that was hard to break away from. This talk covers how the real work was done on the ground to achieve great results. It also gives practical advice on where to find tools that enable you to measure the effectiveness of the strategy. For anyone who is tasked with bringing a vision to reality, this talk is packed with ideas that generated high performance, high engagement, and better quality products 40 times faster.

About the Presenter

Seemin Suleri

Seemin is an agent for change in a competitive digital world. Specializing in building and leading high-performance self-organizing teams, she has enabled businesses to transform their cultural and technological landscape. She has a real passion for Agile and continuous improvement. Currently working as Head of Engineering for 288 Group Ltd, she is leading the company’s systems transformation effort to meet the demands of the ever-evolving and competitive market.

She is a mum of two energetic preschoolers, and is passionate about flexibility and inclusion in teams to allow people from all backgrounds to succeed. She has led a number of initiatives to increase the representation of women in software, and is always interested in the human element in organizational success. She is an enthusiastic individual with a background in both software engineering and project management, coupled with the ability to operate within an array of engineering disciplines to unblock flow and get the job done.

Rules and Submissions for the Watts Humphrey Process Achievement Award

Past Presentation

The August 2022 tech talk was presented by Isabel Margarido.

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Abstract

Watts Humphrey was a practitioner and advocate of Software Engineering good practices, also known as the “Father of Software Quality”. His work “laid ground for” CMM, CMMI and he proved the entire practices through PSP and TSP. In this talk, I will give an overview of the IEEE Computer Society/SEI Watts S. Humphrey Software Process Achievement Award, along with the criteria for you, your workgroup, or your company to submit an application for this award in 2023. Since the submission and selection criteria are rigorous, the application process for people who implement process improvements that are a great benefit to others (their department, other business areas or companies) does require preparation and data gathering. As a member of the voting committee, my intent in this presentation is to help you to better understand the award nomination procedures and to entice you to apply or to nominate people/groups of people that you know are eligible to win this year’s award. Last but not least, I will also present a previous award winner to give you a better picture.

About the Presenter

Isabel Margarido

Isabel Margarido has over 20 years of experience in systems engineering. Since April, she is Key Account Manager at Capgemini Engineering, where she is responsible for many accounts, including one with representation in 190 countries and is in the top 3 in the field of its competitors. Before that, Isabel was Senior Project Manager at Sonae, one of the biggest retail companies in Portugal. At Critical Software (CSW), Isabel worked as Programme Manager in the UK and Product Manager in a USA company that had customers such as YUM! Brand Foods (KFC, Pizza Hut, and Burger King). During that period, she helped Mindera start its business since the very start. Isabel’s other accomplishments at CSW include working as a project manager, Scrum Master, quality manager, founder of the testing department, and serving on the appraisal team that helped CSW to achieve CMMI ML5, making CSW the first company in Portugal to receive that certification. She started her professional career as Quality Manager at Milénio 3.

Isabel holds a PhD in Informatics Engineering, regarding quantitative process improvements and quantitative project management, and is an Electronics and Computers Engineer. Both of her degrees were awarded by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto.

Results of Applying Methods for Software Excellence – The Long View

Past Presentation

The June 2020 Tech Talk was presented by Stephen Shook

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Abstract:

Today’s software industry could be characterized as one where software organizations come and go, technology workers change employers every few years, and corporate initiatives are transient. By contrast, the Advanced Information Services Division of Ishpi Information Technologies (ISHPI) has sustained its software process improvement effort for nearly three decades. During that time, the organization received the IEEE/SEI Software Process Achievement Award, received the Government Information Security Leadership Award (GISLA) for secure software life cycle practices, and has been appraised at CMMI-DEV Maturity Level 5 repeatedly over the last 10 years. By maintaining a constancy of purpose, focus on quality and security, and dedication to excellence, ISHPI projects consistently produce extraordinary results. ISHPI will present its results, insights, and perspectives on enduring methods and principles – over the long view.

About the Presenter

Stephen Shook, Director of Software Engineering and Quality, brings more than 25 years of experience in senior management, business development, development management, project management, software engineering, and implementing Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). He is one of the principal architects of ISHPI’s award-winning Agile High Velocity Development℠ software development methodology. As an experienced instructor, coach, consultant, and subject matter expert, he leads and mentors software teams to achieve exceptional cost, schedule, and quality performance in order to achieve customer business goals. Stephen has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Illinois.