Experience Reports | Software Excellence Alliance

The April 2024 tech talk was presented by David Tuma

Abstract

We’ve all been there: working long hours, late nights and weekends, under immense pressure to finish a release after missed deadlines and project overruns. Fortunately, there is a better way!

This presentation will describe a proven set of tools and techniques for planning and tracking that teams can use to make and keep commitments, increase agility, and delight their customers. Come learn how you can retake control, for yourself, and your team.

About the Presenter

David Tuma is a graduate of MIT, with a passion for exceptional software development. He has contributed to the success of numerous projects in roles ranging from architecture to coding, security assessment to causal analysis, and project management to coaching.

In his support for exceptional practices, he created (and continues to evolve) an open-source toolset called the Process Dashboard, which has been used by tens of thousands of developers worldwide.

David is an active member of the SEA Executive Team and the SEA Data Warehouse Working Group.

Failure. Pragmatic Lessons Learned the Hard Way

The December 2023 Tech Talk was presented by Rick Kelly

Abstract

Rick Kelly will talk about lessons learned in systems engineering in weapons development. His lesson were informed by his life on the farm.

“I grew up on a small farm. On that farm, our deadlines were very real. We had to get the plowing done in time to plant. We had to get the hay in before it rained. And money was always tight so we couldn’t just buy our way out of problems.

So, I grew up knowing that preventive maintenance was critical. That maintenance made problems less likely, but it didn’t eliminate them. When any piece of equipment broke, our approach to fixing it was very pragmatic. We would use what was on hand before we would ever go buy something new. “

That pragmatic view informed his career and greatly influenced his ability to learn from failure. With that backdrop, this talk will provide a few of the key lessons he learned from the failures he has seen in his career.

About the Presenter

Rick Kelly

Rick Kelly has pursued system engineering excellence over his forty-year career working for DOD and in the private sector as an Aerospace Consultant. Rick’s career has been focused on the “art” and “science” of “weaponeering” for the Department of the Navy to be able to deliver game-changing Weapons Systems for the Fleet.

Rick recently retired from his DOD position but continues to teach as well as consult on all aspects of System Engineering for DOD as well as industry.

Software Excellence through the Agile High Velocity Development℠ Process

The August 2023 tech talk was presented by Steve Shook and Barti Perini

Read the Detailed Tech Report

Abstract

The Advanced Information Services Division of Ishpi Information Technologies, Inc. (DBA ISHPI) performs all aspects of the software development lifecycle using its High Velocity Development℠ (HVD) process. We have studied many methods and frameworks (including Personal Software Process, Team Software Process, CMMI for Development, Scrum, Kanban, CMMI for Services, ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 20000-1 (Information Technology Service Management), ISO 27001 (Information Security Management Systems), Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, and more), adapted them, combined them, and made them our own. The result is an innovative, cohesive process that works for us—our agile HVD process. We have shown that diverse inputs need not be contradictory choices, but instead complementary building blocks. By evolving, implementing, and utilizing the HVD practices, AIS Division teams have achieved significant improvement in productivity and performance. ISHPI’s customers have benefited from shorter schedules, lower costs for development due to minimal rework costs, lower costs for maintenance, and an overall positive experience during each project.

About the Presenter

Stephen Shook, ISHPI’s Vice President of Software Engineering & 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, 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.

Barti Perini, ISHPI’s Vice President of Software Process Improvement, brings over 25 years of experience in software engineering, software development process improvement, project management, and Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI®) and ISO implementation. She leads ISHPI’s Software Engineering Process group, Configuration Management group, and the Quality Assurance group, working with senior management, software development managers, project managers, and engineers to initiate, define, track, evaluate, and implement new methods and technologies to continuously optimize the software engineering capability of the organization (currently appraised at CMMI Development Maturity Level (ML) 5 and CMMI Services ML 3). Barti holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute. Barti has a Master of Science in Computer Science from Northern Illinois University, a Master of Technology in Industrial Electronics from Mysore University, India and a Bachelor of Engineering in Power Electronics from Nagpur University, India.

Implementing a Strategy for Excellence

The January 2023 tech talk was presented by Seemin Suleri

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.

How to Increase Team Performance : A Tale of Two Teams

Past Presentation

The June 2022 tech talk was presented by Seemin Suleri