

Software Process and Measurement Cast
Thomas M. Cagley Jr
SPaMCAST explores the varied world of software process improvement and measurement. The cast covers topics that deal with the challenges found in information technology organizations as they grow and evolve.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 29, 2010 • 15min
SPaMCAST 97 - Time-to-Market Essay, Metrics Minute
Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 97! Software Process and Measurement Cast features an essay on time-to-market which is an excerpt from a new writing project I am calling The Metrics Minute. You will see more essays from this project in the future and a call to action. The first few lines . . . Time-to-market (TTM) is a measure of the calendar duration of a project. Calendar time is the granddaddy of all measures of project performance. The popularity of the measure is driven by its ease of calculation as by definition all projects have a start date and every day that goes by adds one to day to the duration of the project and brings you one day closer to both the predicted and eventual end of the project. Time to market because it's simplicity has a great deal of allure however because of it simplicity it has very little explanatory power. Calendar time is a metric that everyone can understand in theory however how long is too long or why one project takes longer than another can only be answered by making a comparison to something else. Citrix GoToAssist Express is sponsoring SPaMCAST Solve technical issues faster with GoToAssist Express. Try it FREE for 30 days. Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing has hit the bookshelves! According to Robert C. Anderson, Director, Process Development and Quality Assurance, Computer Aid, Inc, "Mastering Software Project Management is a masterpiece of clarity, organization and depth of practical knowledge." If you a project manager or know project managers buy yourself a copy and a second to lend co-workers! 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 Conferences and Speaking Engagements in 2010 (To Date)ISMA Cinco in Sao Paulo September 13-15. I will be one of the featured speakers. The title of the presentation is Function Points: Past, Present and Future. The website to get more information is http://www.ifpug.org/conferences/ I hope to see you there! Next!SPaMCAST 98 will return to the SEMAT Troika with my interview with Richard Soley on his perspective of the Software Engineering Method and Theory (SEMAT). I think Richard wraps up the three SEMAT interviews materfully.

Aug 22, 2010 • 37min
SPaMCAST 96 - Bertrand Meyer, SEMAT, IT and Academia
Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 96! The Software Process and Measurement Cast this week features an in interview with Bertrand Meyer. Bertand and I discussed his ideas on SEMAT and why IT and Academia need to find a common ground to share ideas and knowledge. From Wikipedia Bertrand Meye has been Professor of Software Engineering at ETH Zürich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology since October 2001, where he pursues research on building trusted components (reusable software elements) with a guaranteed level of quality. Dr. Meyer pursues the ideal of simple, elegant and user-friendly computer languages and is one of the earliest and most vocal proponents of object-oriented programming (OOP). His book Object-Oriented Software Construction is widely considered to be the best work on presenting the case for OOP. Other books he has written include Eiffel: The Language (a description of the Eiffel language), Object Success (a discussion of object technology for managers), Reusable Software (a discussion of reuse issues and solutions), Introduction to the Theory of Programming Languages and Touch of Class. He has authored numerous articles and edited conference proceedings. He is the initial designer of the Eiffel method and language and has continued to participate in its evolution, and is the originator of the Design by Contract development method. His experiences with object technology through the Simula language, as well as early work on abstract data types and formal specification (including the Z notation), provided some of the background for the development of Eiffel. Eiffel has been influential in the development of other languages including Java, C# and Python. Bertand is one of the troika of thought leaders that have brought SEMAT to the world. See Bertand's website for more information and contact data: http://se.ethz.ch/~meyer/ Citrix GoToAssist Express is sponsoring SPaMCAST Solve technical issues faster with GoToAssist Express. Try it FREE for 30 days. 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 Conferences and Speaking Engagements in 2010 (To Date) ISMA Cinco in Sao Paulo September 13-15. I will be one of the featured speakers. THe title of the presentation is Function Points: Past, Present and Future. The website to get more information is http://www.ifpug.org/conferences/ I hope to see you there! Next!SPaMCAST 97 will feature another essay from the Metrics Minute on Time-to-Market.

Aug 15, 2010 • 15min
SPaMCAST 95 - Labor Productivity Essay, Metrics Minute
Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 95! Software Process and Measurement Cast features an essay on labor productivity which is an excerpt from a new writing project I am calling The Metrics Minute. You will see more essays from this project in the future and a call to action. The first few lines . . .Labor productivity measures efficiency of the transformation of labor into something of higher value. Labor productivity (typically called productivity) is a fairly simple manufacturing concept that has been found itself useful in IT. Productivity is the amount of output per unit of input; an example in manufacturing terms can be expressed as10 widgets for every hour worked. Labor productivity is a powerful metric, made even more powerful by it's simplicity. At its heart, productivity is a measure of the efficiency of a process (or group of processes). Citrix GoToAssist Express is sponsoring SPaMCAST Solve technical issues faster with GoToAssist Express. Try it FREE for 30 days. Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing has hit the bookshelves! According to Robert C. Anderson, Director, Process Development and Quality Assurance, Computer Aid, Inc, "Mastering Software Project Management is a masterpiece of clarity, organization and depth of practical knowledge." If you a project manager or know project managers buy yourself a copy and a second to lend co-workers! 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 Conferences and Speaking Engagements in 2010 (To Date):ISMA Cinco in Sao Paulo September 13-15. I will be one of the featured speakers. The title of the presentation is Function Points: Past, Present and Future. The website to get more information is http://www.ifpug.org/conferences/ I hope to see you there! Next!SPaMCAST 96 will return to the SEMAT Troika with my interview with Bertran Meyer on his perspective of the Software Engineering Method and Theory (SEMAT).
Aug 8, 2010 • 36min
SPaMCAST 94 - Ivar Jacobson, SEMAT Part 1
Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 94!The interview in the SPaMCAST 94 features my interview with Ivar Jacobson covering the Software Engineering Method and Theory or SEMAT initiative. The interview is part of a set of three interviews that I had with Ivar, Bertand Meyer and Richard Soley. The three luminaries are leading an effort to pull together a common core for software engineering and then to provide a framework for integrating new ideas. A very ambitious and somewhat controversial task. All three interviews were incredible and together provide a broad foundation to understand and interact with SEMAT. Dr. Ivar Jacobson is a father of components and component architecture, use cases, the Unified Modeling Language and the Rational Unified Process. He has contributed to modern business modeling and aspect-oriented software development. However, all this is history. Lately he has been working on how to deal with methods and tools in a super-light and agile way. He has developed a practice concept that is now being adopted by both developers and tool vendors. Now he is one of the leaders of a worldwide network Semat, which has agreed to revolutionize software development. He is also the principal author of six influential and best-selling books. Ivar Jacobson is the chairman of Ivar Jacobson International which has subsidiaries in the US, UK, China, Singapore, Australia, Sweden and Canada. SEMAT's website: www.semat.orgIvar's blog: http://blog.ivarjacobson.com/ Citrix GoToAssist Express is sponsoring SPaMCAST Solve technical issues faster with GoToAssist Express. Try it FREE for 30 days. Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing has hit the bookshelves! According to Robert C. Anderson, Director, Process Development and Quality Assurance, Computer Aid, Inc, "Mastering Software Project Management is a masterpiece of clarity, organization and depth of practical knowledge." If you a project manager or know project managers buy yourself a copy and a second to lend co-workers! 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/16fBWVConferences and Speaking Engagements in 2010 (To Date)ISMA Cinco in Sao Paulo September 13-15. I will be one of the featured speakers. THe title of the presentation is Function Points: Past, Present and Future. The website to get more information is http://www.ifpug.org/conferences/ I hope to see you there!Next!The next Software Process and Measurement will feature an essay. In SPaMCAST 96 will return to the SEMAT Troika with my interview with Bertran Meyer on his perspective of the Software Engineering Method and Theory (SEMAT).

Aug 2, 2010 • 13min
SPaMCAST 93 - Ethics Essay Conclusion
Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 93! The essay in the SPaMCAST 93 features the conclusion of my essay on ethics and call to action. The conclusion beging with the following paragraph. Codes of ethics are a compilation of individual statements of ethical principals into a framework to guide behavior. Most every human being embraces a code of ethics by default whether it is provided by religion, society, their work or organizations and associations. I recently asked friends I work with how many codes of ethics they are bound with and after a bit of discussion the average was four. Examples included IFPUG, PMI, IEEE, SEI, society and religions. Kevin Brennan, Vice President for Professional Development of IIBA, twittered me that codes of ethics are expected for a group to define itself as a profession and required for certification bodies under ISO 17024. Citrix GoToAssist Express is sponsoring SPaMCAST Solve technical issues faster with GoToAssist Express. Try it FREE for 30 days. On July 21st Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself was published by J. Ross Publishing. Murali and I wrote this book from the standpoint of a project manager working in a software development organization. We think this makes Mastering a unique guide that explains software project management in its entirety, including project acquisition and execution with backward linkages to concepts that play a facilitation role in successful project management. If you a project manager or know project managers buy yourself a copy and a second to lend co-workers! 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 Conferences and Speaking Engagements in 2010 (To Date) ISMA Cinco in São Paulo September 13-15. I will be one of the featured speakers. The title of the presentation is Function Points: Past, Present and Future. The website to get more information is http://www.ifpug.org/conferences/ I hope to see you there! Next!Will begin my interviews with Ivar Jacobson, Richard Soley and Bertran Meyer on the Software Engineering Method and Theory (SEMAT) is bold initiative.

Jul 25, 2010 • 57min
SPaMCAST 92 - Reinertsen, Product Development Flow
Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 92! The interview in the SPaMCAST 92 features a discussion with Don Reinertsen . We discussed his current book, THe Principles of Product Development Flow including the concepts of queues, lean and economic value just to name a few topics. This was an incredible interview. For three decades Don Reinertsen has focused on improving the management of product development. His best-selling books have been perpetual favorites for hardcore engineering professionals. They lie dog-eared and underlined on engineering bookshelves around the world. Thousands of people have his public seminars at Caltech, The Management Roundtable, and overseas. Don constantly pushes the state of management thinking and delivers a rare combination of rigor, practicality, and clarity. His latest awarding winning book, The Principles of Product Development Flow: Second Generation Lean Product Development, has been praised as, “… quite simply the most advanced product development book you can buy.” Website: http://www.reinertsenassociates.com/ e-mail: don@ReinertsenAssociates.com Citrix GoToAssist Express is sponsoring SPaMCAST Solve technical issues faster with GoToAssist Express. Try it FREE for 30 days. On July 21st Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself was published by J. Ross Publishing. Murali and I wrote this book from the standpoint of a project manager working in a software development organization. We think this makes Mastering a unique guide that explains software project management in its entirety, including project acquisition and execution with backward linkages to concepts that play a facilitation role in successful project management. If you a project manager or know project managers buy yourself a copy and a second to lend co-workers! 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 Conferences and Speaking Engagements in 2010 (To Date) ISMA Cinco in São Paulo September 13-15. I will be one of the featured speakers. THe title of the presentation is Function Points: Past, Present and Future. The website to get more information is http://www.ifpug.org/conferences/ I hope to see you there! Next! The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature the continuation the essay on process improvement and project management codes of ethics.

Jul 19, 2010 • 13min
SPaMCAST 91 - Ethics, Part 1
Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 91! The essay in the Software Process and Measurement Cast is titled Project and Process Improvement Ethics: A Primer, Part 1: What are ethics and why do care? The essay asks: What are ethics? What is the purpose of ethical frameworks? Why should they matter to those who manage process improvement? Citrix GoToAssist Express is sponsoring SPaMCAST Solve technical issues faster with GoToAssist Express. Try it FREE for 30 days. I am continuing my experiment with the format of the Software Process and Measurement Cast. I began the new format on SPaMCAST 88 and intend to use the new format at least through July. Every other show will include an interview and news components and the non-interview show will include the essay and any listener comments. I would really like to hear your thoughts and comments on the format. In August I will start the personal kanban at experiment. I am interested in any advice or comments you might have. I will share the results of the experiment as it develops. 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 Conferences and Speaking Engagements in 2010 (To Date) ISMA Cinco in São Paulo September 13-15. I will be one of the featured speakers. THe title of the presentation is Function Points: Past, Present and Future. The website to get more information is http://www.ifpug.org/conferences/ I hope to see you there! Next! The interview in the Software Process and Measurement Cast 91 will feature Don Reinertsen. We discussed queues, lean and economic value just to name a few topics. WOW

Jul 11, 2010 • 32min
SPaMCAST 90 - Ferdinandi, Technologist's Guide to Performing
Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 90! The interview in the SPaMCAST 90 features an interview with a familar face, Pat Ferdinandi. Pat is back talking about her new book, A Technologist's Guide to Performing & Surviving in the New World. We live in exciting times how exciting might be up to us! Pat's 11 year old Solomon Island Eclectus Female parrot, Scarlet wrote the Bio I am using for Pat in SPaMCAST 90. Who is Pat Ferdinandi? Well, Mark Twain squawked it best: She was not quite what you would call refined.She was not quite what you would call unrefined.She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot. ~ Following the Equator; Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar She's calls herself a Chief Thought Translator...a business architect and author of Parrotology. She's different but I'm GEORGOUS! Yup... I'm Scarlet... the bird...I squawk about life...And give my caretakers strife...Lets chat about products and give me a hint...What's happenin' in your world...And I'm givin' you the word... I am continuing my experiment with the format of the Software Process and Measurement Cast. I began the new format on SPaMCAST 88 and intend to use the new format at least through July. Every other show will include an interview and news components and the non-interview show will include the essay and any listener comments. I would really like to hear your thoughts and comments on the format. In August I will start the personal kanban at experiment. I am interested in any advice or comments you might have. I will share the results of the experiment as it develops. 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 Conferences and Speaking Engagements in 2010 (To Date) ISMA Cinco in São Paulo September 13-15. I will be one of the featured speakers. THe title of the presentation is Function Points: Past, Present and Future. The website to get more information is http://www.ifpug.org/conferences/ I hope to see you there! Next!The interview in the Software Process and Measurement Cast 91 will feature an essay that begins a discussion of ethics and why an ethics framework is important for guiding change.

Jul 4, 2010 • 13min
SPaMCAST 89 - Collaboration Part 3
Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 89! Show 89 is the editorial / essay component of the show. The Software Process and Measurement Cast features Collaboration: Business's Duct Tape Part 3. THe summary of the whole essay is: Collaboration is a nearly ubiquitous problem-solving technique used in today’s business environment. As a tool it is not perfect; it can be slower than individual strokes of genius; at times it can deliver watered down solutions; and collaborative teams can lose their ability to think outside the box. On the other hand, collaborative efforts can marshal many points of view to create solutions no individual stroke of genius would be able to deliver. Given the power of this technique, it is important to have the knowledge of what it takes to actually make a collaborative effort work. Synthesizing a group of individuals into a collaborative team requires a combination of ability, authority, commitment, trust and recognition. Part One is included in SPaMCAST 85Part Two is included in SPaMCAST 87 Remember to check out our sponsor, GoToAssit Express! 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 Conferences and Speaking Engagements in 2010 (To Date) ISMA Cinco in São Paulo September 13-15. I will be one of the featured speakers. THe title of the presentation is Function Points: Past, Present and Future. The website to get more information is http://www.ifpug.org/conferences/ I hope to see you there! Next!The next SPaMCast Features an interview with a familar face, Pat Ferdinandi is back talking about her new book, A Technologist's Guide to Performing & Surviving in the New World. We live in exciting times how exciting might be up to us!

Jun 27, 2010 • 42min
SPaMCAST 88a - Karten, Manage and Communicate Change
Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 88! The interview in the SPaMCAST 88 features a discussion with Naomi Karten. We discussed her book Changing How You Manage and Communicate Change. This book is another game changer! Naomi Karten (http://www.nkarten.com) is well-known for delivering serious material with a light touch. As principal of her training and consulting business, she helps organizations and individuals improve customer satisfaction, manage change, strengthen teamwork, and enhance communication and presentation skills. Naomi has delivered seminars and keynote presentation to more than 100,000 people internationally in such diverse locations as Oslo, Zurich, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Trinidad, Costa Rica, and throughout the US and Canada. The premise of Naomi’s book, Changing How You Manage and Communicate Change: Focusing on the Human Side of Change, is that change will proceed more smoothly and with less turbulence if serious attention is given to the people aspects. Information on this book is at http://www.nkarten.com/changebook. Naomi’s books, Managing Expectations and Communication Gaps and How to Close Them, provide proven strategies and techniques for carrying out projects, implementing change, delivering service, and strengthening teamwork. Her other books and ebooks include • How to Establish Service Level Agreements, • How to Survive, Excel and Advance as an Introvert • Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals Naomi’s newsletter, Perceptions & Realities, which is posted on her website, offers serious advice in a lively, chuckle-generating manner. She has also published more than 300 articles in print publications and on numerous websites. Prior to forming her training and consulting business, she earned degrees in psychology and gained extensive experience in technical, customer support, and management positions. Contact Naomi at naomi@nkarten.com. Remember to check out GoTo Assist Express! I have decided to use the month of July to experiment with the format of the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Beginning with SPaMCAST 88 and running thorough SPaMCAST 90 I will separate the interview and the essay into two shows. The A show will include the interview and news components and the B show will include the essay and any listener comments. The A show will continue to be bi-weekly as will the B show they will just not happen on the same weekend. Another way to say this is that for the next six weeks, at least, the Software Process and Measurement cast will be weekly. Thoughts and comments are welcome. In August I will start the personal kanban at experiment. I am interested in any advice or comments you might have. I will share the results of the experiment as it develops. 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 Conferences and Speaking Engagements in 2010 (To Date) ISMA Cinco in São Paulo September 13-15. I will be one of the featured speakers. THe title of the presentation is Function Points: Past, Present and Future. The website to get more information is http://www.ifpug.org/conferences/ I hope to see you there! Next! The interview in the Software Process and Measurement Cast 89 is with a familar face, Pat Ferdinandi is back talking about her new book, A Technologist's Guide to Performing & Surviving in the New World. We live in exciting times how exciting might be up to us!


