Software Process and Measurement Cast

The Software Process and Measurement Cast (SPaMCAST) Five features an interview with Ian Brown of Booz Allen Hamilton covering the topic of estimation.  Project estimation (whether software, hardware, network or research projects) is one the hardest areas organizations face when planning or executing work.  Ian provides serious advice for implementing an estimation program.   SPaMCAST Five includes a guest essay by Paul Laberge of CCH Canada on fitting PPQA audit to an organization to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.   If you have an idea for a guest essay contact Tom Cagley at , the Software Process and Measurement Cast welcomes guest essays!    Finally this cast includes comments on Putts Law.  Putts Law states that - those that understand do not manage and those that manage do not understand.  I am worried about the thought of using project managers wholesale without technical competency.  Does this casue a competency inversion?  What are the attributes of a perfect project manager?  Send your comment to .   Next Cast:   The next cast continues the estimation theme arc on estimation with an interview with Michael Bragen of Software Productivity Research, LLC.  The essay for the cast is tentatively titled, An Estimate is Just A Number, Right?

SPaMCAST Four features an interview with Stasia Iwanicki of the David Consulting Group ().    Stasia can be reach at .  Stasia and host, Tom Cagley, discuss the how the CMMI and Six Sigma interact.  The discussion provides information for organization to decide which model makes sense and whether they can be applied at the same time.  The discussion touched on the issue of whether a craft or factory model is healthier as a model for an information technology organizations in the 21st century.  I believe the topic foreshadows its own mud wrestle in the future.  Thoughts? The essay in this cast is titled 'Models, Models Everywhere . . .'  The essay challenges you to clearly understand why you are using any model and to evaluate the value.  Implementing a model for the sake of model is a loosing proposition.  The essay leaves you with the question, 'models, models, everywhere . . . a powerful tool or a straight jacket?' Which is it for you? Next Cast:SPaMCAST Five will be released on March 25th and will feature an interview with Ian Brown of Booz Allen Hamilton.  The interview will focus on the conundrum we call estimation.  This cast will be the first in an arc of discussion on the topic of estimation. Future Events In April I will be presenting and teaching a workshop at the IFPUG Spring Workshops and Functional Sizing Summit ().  The workshop titled Counting New Medias:  Blogs, WIKIs, Podcasts and Second Life will be a truly hands class wrestling with sizing media and the tools used to create it. The IFPUG Spring Workshops and Functional Sizing Summit will be held Sunday, April 22 until Thursday, April 26, 2007 at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel in Vancouver, Canada.  Information is available at www.ifpug.org.  If you are attending let me know and will see about a friends of SPaMCAST gathering. On June 21 at 3 PM I will  be presenting When Good Numbers Go Bad at Better Software 2007 in Las Vegas.  The conference and workshops run from Monday June 18 though Thursday June 21 at the Venetian in Las Vegas.  Information is available at   If you are attending let me know. Finally remember that Will McKnight will be speaking at SEPG this year March 26 through 29 in Austin.  Information is available  at    Comments, Rants and Raves?Your comments, questions and rants are appreciated and will help to facilitate a dialog and build the community.  Let me know the topics you would like have covered and people you would like interviewed. Get involved! Contact SPAMCast at

The Software Process and Measurement CAST features a wide-ranging interview with Capers Jones, founder and Chief Scientist of Software Productivity Research ().  As with any discussion with Capers, take out your pencil and paper and get ready to write.  One of the great features of a podcast is that that you can hit the pause key and even back up.  You will need it, it was a great interview. The essay for this podcast is titled, Measurement Proliferation, Guarding The Peace or Mutually Assured Destruction?  The article explores proliferation in-depth (measuring the same thing many ways) and breadth (measuring everything).  Next CastThe Next SPaMCAST will be posted on March 11.  The cast will feature an exciting interview with Stasia Iwanicki.  The interview is titled 'Six Sigma and CMMI:  Friends, Foes or Mud Wrestling Partners'. Future Events In April I will be presenting and teaching a workshop at the IFPUG Spring Workshops and Functional Sizing Summit ().  The workshop titled Counting New Medias:  Blogs, WIKIs, Podcasts, and Second Life will be a truly hands class wrestling with sizing media and the tools used to create it. The IFPUG Spring Workshops and Functional Sizing Summit will be held Sunday, April 22 until Thursday, April 26, 2007, at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel in Vancouver, Canada.  Information is available at www.ifpug.org.  If you are attending let me know and will see about a friends of SPaMCAST gathering. On June 21 at 3 PM I will be presenting When Good Numbers Go Bad at Better Software 2007 in Los Vegas.  The conference and workshops run from Monday, June 18 through Thursday, June 21 at the Venetian in Las Vegas.  Information is available at   If you are attending let me know. Finally remember that Will McKnight will be speaking at SEPG this year March 26 through 29 in Austin.  Information is available  at    Comments, Rants, and Raves?Your comments, questions, and rants are appreciated and will help to facilitate a dialog and build the community.  Let me know the topics you would like to have covered and people you would like interviewed. Get involved! Contact SPAMCast at

Will's interview includes a wealth of information on implementing PPQA with an organization.   The basis for the interview is the presentation he will make at the SEPG 2007 Conference.  Will has provided all mentioned documents at .  He has provided a link on the home page:    for SEPG 2007 PPQA Material The direct link is : Show Two's essay, "Keep the Ship of IT Pointed Towards Delivering Value" is a reflection on a lecture I attended by Jared Diamond.  His lecture was in support of his book. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (2005).  The ideas in the book concern the anthropology of societies however they are equally relevant to why process improvement programs succeed or fail.  Two of the ideas Dr. Diamond put forth on why societies collapse that are instantly germane to SPI programs.  Full text can be found at www.tcagley.wordpress.com. SPaMCAST Show Three will feature an interview with Capers Jones and will be post on February 25. Comments or suggestions for SPaMCAST can be sent to spamcastinfo@gmail.com.

Process and Product Quality Assurance is a critical process area within the CMMI.  It is the leading economic indicator of success when assessing whether process change will be successful.  Successful implementation requires that you understand your organization's culture. Show One features an interview with Will McKnight (pictured) of Next Level Consultants.  Next Level Consultants can be found at: w You can contact Mr. McKnight at   Comments on the podcast and SPaMcast can be emailed to . Rough versions of the essay and other working articles can be found at   My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-66dd681d07991ed3b86a108fd6b15024}

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast, SPaMCAST,  Show ZERO!  Show Zero is being releasing to activate the RSS feeds, iron out the bugs, teach the podcaster the software and to prime your expectations.    The cast will typically follow a format that begins with a commentary or essay followed by an interview and listener comments.  The interviews will address the wide range of software process improvement or measurement topics.  The list of topics and interviews that are currently scheduled include:   Process and Product Quality Assurance Estimation Software measurement Function Points Other Functional Metrics Outsourcing the Measurement Process   Overall the cast is intended to last approximately 20 – 30 minutes and to be produced every two weeks.   Tom Cagley