Software Process and Measurement Cast

The SPaMCAST 154 features my interview with Bill Fox.  We discussed process improvement and his publishing project, 5 Minutes to Process Improvement Success. 5 Minutes to Process Improvement Success provides a wealth of process improvement advice and information.   Bill is a project management and performance improvement, consultant. Progressive organizations seeking to gain extraordinary value and results through performance improvement value his ability to focus and manage their improvement efforts on the right priorities. Bill is an expert at managing change projects in a way that builds momentum and enthusiasm throughout the organization while keeping the focus on delivering results. Born out of frustration with the way most organizations attempt to improve their operations, Bill created and publishes the popular 5 Minutes to Process Improvement Success interview series. In this work, Bill has established himself as an authority on uncovering and leveraging the best performance improvement strategies and tactics of top consultants from around the world. Bill openly shares and promotes these strategies and tactics to advance the state of the industry to the benefit of all. Bill also combines his performance improvement work with his passion for flying and aerial photography to help organizations gain a higher perspective for advancing their organizations to higher levels of performance.  Bill is originally from Western Pennsylvania and earned a BS degree at Penn State after serving in the US Navy Nuclear Submarine Service. He has over 25 years of experience working as a consultant, project manager, analyst, and developer. Bill and his wife are proud parents of two amazing daughters and a high-spirited dachshund. He lives in Northern Virginia near Dulles Airport. When he’s not reading one of the fifty or more books he reads each year, he enjoys flying, photography, cycling and running. Bill invites you to download his latest free interview series 5 where you will find some of the best ideas anywhere on performance improvement, follow him on , or travel with him as he explores the world from 3,000 ft. at . Contact Bill Fox: Email:  bfox@5minutespisuccess.com 5 Minutes to Process Improvement Success: http://5minutespisuccess.com/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/Bi11Fox Flying:  http://foxhighperspective.com/   Interested in sponsoring or getting involved with the Software Process and Measurement Cast?  Have a comment or a rant?   Contact 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   Shameless Ad for my book!  co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "Mastering Software Project Management is useful for business leaders and entrepreneurs who need to develop an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their team's approach to developing software."  Have you bought your copy?   Next! In the SPaMCAST 155 I will feature an essay discussing system thinking and process improvement!

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 153! A funny thing happened on the way to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 153, I was distracted by a nice shiny idea therefore we have a short essay titled, "Impetus for Change".  Because this essay was short I have included an essay from SPaMCAST 8 (May 2007) on Involvement.  The topic is just as relevant today as then!   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 154 features my interview with Bill Fox!  Bill compiles and publishes "5 Minutes to Process Improvement Success". We discussed his project, the value it delivers and process improvement in general.

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 151! The SPaMCAST 152 will features an interview with Ron Rosenhead.  We discussed all things project management!  Are you a project manager, know a project manager or are looking for project management training?  This interview is for you!  Ron's Bio: Ron Rosenhead is and has been the Chief Executive Officer for Project Agency – a London based project management training and consultancy company  While working on a major change programme Ron realised that managers were given huge business change projects but had received no specific training to support them. He set about rectifying this providing them with a range of events which supported them and the change programme. This was a turning point in his career and for the last 16 years Ron has run Project Agency a company dedicated to supporting organisations who want to increase the probability of project success. He has a passion for developing project management skills of professional staff. He is always looking for ways of tackling blockages to learning and ultimately effective delivery of projects. He speaks at conferences, runs training events, consults and writes all in the area of project management. He is a graduate and post graduate and a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts. Ron's Contact Data:Web: www.projectagency.co.uk Web: www.deliverthatproject.comEmail: rr@projectagency.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/#!/@ronrosenhead Interested in sponsoring the Software Process and Measurment Cast? Please contact me at SPaMCASTinfo@gmail.com for a rate sheet or to discuss options. Shameless Ad for my book!  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.comVoicemail:  +1-206-888-6111Website: www.spamcast.netTwitter: www.twitter.com/tcagleyFacebook:  http://bit.ly/16fBWV Next! SPaMCAST 153 will feature an essay discussing system thinking and process improvement!

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 151! The SPaMCAST 151 features my essay Urgency and Importance:  A Balance? Today's world is complicated. The lines between home and work have all but been erased due to tools that provide 24x7 connections and data feeds. The competition for our attention is daunting.  Interested in being a sponsor?  Contact Tom Cagley at SPaMCASTinfo@gmail.com for a rate sheet or to discuss options. Shameless Ad for my book!  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 152 will feature an interview with Ron Rosenhead.  Can you say project management?  Even if you can't say project management, Ron will amuse and educate you!

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 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.   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!  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 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! 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:  Voicemail:  +1-206-888-6111Website: Twitter: Facebook:  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 .  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 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!  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 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!  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 "." 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!  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!  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.