TwinSPIN Newsletter: Volume 1, Issue 1
November 1, 1999
CONTENTS:
* A Note from the Editor
* TwinSPIN November Meeting
* Feature Article: "Advanced Inspections" by Tom Gilb
* Software Development Web Site Review by Esther Derby
* 10 Project Haiku by Rick Brenner
* Announcements & Calendar
* About TwinSPIN
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A Note from the Editor
Welcome to the inaugural issue of the TwinSPIN newsletter! Or, as it's
referred to above, the "Collectors' Issue" - only time will tell whether
it's collectable like a classic Corvette or collectable like an Edsel.
This newsletter is an excellent way for software professionals to share
information and experiences. We want to reach both the active SPIN members
and those who are engaged in software improvement activities yet don't
necessarily attend TwinSPIN meetings. This format allows you to see
topics, like those that are discussed at SPIN meetings, on your own
schedule. We admit that we hope to spark your interest in attending
TwinSPIN events if you haven't yet!
We want to make this newsletter useful to you, the reader. Your comments
and suggestions will help shape and improve this newsletter. We hope that
you'll consider contributing *your* experiences and knowledge by submitting
an article, paper, book commentary, or web site review to share with the
TwinSPIN community.
We've already received the following suggestions:
* link the newsletter to the TwinSPIN or another web page and send
"tickler" e-mails (great idea, planning to do this eventually but wanted a
more direct distribution channel for the first few issues)
* want to hear real life experiences, what worked and what didn't
* pointers to useful web sites (see Esther Derby's reviews in this issue)
* consolidate the e-mail announcements of other SPIN meetings, just the
city, the subject, and a contact if more information is desired. (see
Announcements & Calendar in this issue).
Specific feedback which we'd like:
* How often should the newsletter be published?
* Should it evolve into a different format? (e.g., HTML e-mail, .rtf text
file, .pdf file (would require a member to volunteer the use of Adobe
Acrobat) rather than plain text e-mail)
* Who could commit to joining the newsletter editorial board? (Esther Derby
has already volunteered; we would welcome 1 - 2 more editors, preferably
with editorial experience. Commitment is 4 - 8 hours per month reviewing
submissions and polishing material with authors)
* What is a better, catchier name for this newsletter? (Can you say
"Newsletter Naming Contest"?)
Thanks go to Mel Brauns and Jesse Freese for their efforts to establish and
build TwinSPIN since it's founding in 1996. Special thanks to Tom Gilb, who
graciously responded to a fledgling SPIN newsletter editor's request
despite Tom's busy schedule; to Rick Brenner for submitting material on
short notice; and to all the TwinSPIN members who offered suggestions for
and support of this newsletter. EXTRA special thanks to Esther Derby who,
in addition to submitting material and requesting it from Rick Brenner for
this issue, stepped out of the blue and into the gap to help bring this
first newsletter together on schedule.
Send letters-to-the-editor, comments, questions, submissions, or anything
else relevant to Pat Wegerson, weger002@tc.umn.edu.
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TwinSPIN November Meeting
Topic: Postmortems in Software Development Projects
Speaker: Gloria Congdon
When: Thursday, November 4, 1999 from 6-8 P.M.
Where: University of MN, Akerman Hall, Room 215 (Minneapolis, MN)
Sponsor: United Defense, Mel Brauns
Program Director: Jesse Freese
ABSTRACT
This presentation is based on a master's project that Gloria Congdon
submitted for her Masters Degree at the University of Minnesota, entitled :
"Techniques and Recommendations for Implementing Valuable PostMortems in
Software Development Projects". Her project explored the postmortem process
on software development projects. Postmortems are defined as a process for
identifying the successes and failures of a completed project. The findings
of a postmortem are used to improve the process and quality efforts within
an organization.
She used three research techniques to gather detailed information about
postmortems. The first was an extensive search of software development
literature. The second technique involved interviewing project managers to
learn specific examples of how to conduct a postmortem and their
recommended techniques. The third research technique used a survey to
capture the opinions of various software industry professionals. The
results from the research were then used to create an 8-step customizable
process for conducting postmortems. Highlights from her project will be
presented.
GLORIA CONGDON is a Business Intelligence Specialist with the IBM
Corporation in Rochester, MN. She works as an IT consultant on software
engagements involving AS/400 Data Warehousing and Data Mining. Since May of
this year she has been working in the gaming industry in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Prior experience includes working as a Test Engineer with a data
warehousing software development company called ShowCase Corporation.
Previous to that she worked at Andersen Consulting as a Technical Analyst
in their Minneapolis Client Server Center of Excellence. Gloria holds a BA
in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Gustavus Adolphus College and an MS in
Software Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Meeting Directions
==================
Going south on I-35W: Follow I-35W south to the University Avenue exit.
Take second left onto University Avenue. At Oak Street, turn right. At
Washington Avenue turn right. Drive two blocks to Harvard street and turn
right just past the Radisson Hotel.
**Follow street around the Washington Avenue parking garage (two lefts) and
turn left into the Washington Avenue parking garage. Walk out the garage
on the west side (the side you just drove in) and turn right and walk up
Union Street, Akerman Hall will be on your left.**
Going west on Highway 36: Take I-35W south to the University Avenue exit.
Take second left onto University Avenue. At Oak Street, turn right. At
Washington Avenue turn right. Drive two blocks and turn right just past
the Radisson Hotel. See ** above.
Going north on I-35W: Follow I-35W north to the U of M east bank exit, 17C.
Continue over the Washington Avenue Bridge. Continue on Washington to
Harvard Street and turn left. See ** above.
Going west on I-94: Take the Huron Boulevard exit and take a left onto
Washington Avenue. Continue on Washington to Harvard Street and turn right
just past the Radisson Hotel. See ** above.
Going east on I-94: Follow I-94 east to I-35W north. Follow I-35W north to
the U of M east bank exit, 17C. Continue over the Washington Avenue Bridge.
Continue on Washington to Harvard Street and turn left. See ** above.
Going east on I-394: Follow I-94 east to I-35W north. Follow I-35W north to
the U of M east bank exit, 17C. Continue over the Washington Avenue Bridge.
Continue on Washington to Harvard Street and turn left. See ** above.
Please check out the maps (see below) or contact Jesse Freese (612-882-0800
or Jesse_Freese@Fissure.com) if you need additional directions.
For maps:
1. Browse to http://www1.umn.edu/tc/maps/AkerH/
2. Touch "Close up view" below map for more detail.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
ADVANCED INSPECTIONS
by Tom Gilb
ABSTRACT
Inspection is a proven technique for achieving quality control of
specifications and, identifying associated process improvements. In fact,
Inspection can be applied to any discipline which produces documents. It
has been applied with excellent results to hardware engineering (e.g.
aircraft and electronics), management and sales contracts documentation.
Software Inspections are widely known within the software industry, but
most organizations do not make the most of them. This is because many
people misunderstand and misinterpret Inspection. This paper aims to
provide some direction as to how to get the most value from your
Inspections.
(Used by permission of author. Due to the length of this article, it is
attached to the newsletter. Rich text format is used in the hope it is
accessible to all. - Ed.)
(See attached file: Advanced Inspections.rtf)
TOM GILB is a freelance consultant, teacher, and author serving clients in
Europe and the US. He has written "Principles of Software Engineering
Management" and is the principal author of "Software Inspection". He
specializes in software quality design and management. He lives in Norway,
when he is not traveling. His newest book manuscript is "Competitive
Engineering: A New Systems Engineering Approach for Controlling Complexity,
Communicating Clearly, and Challenging Creativity." This and other of his
artifacts are available on his web site at http://www.result-planning.com.
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WEB PICKS
by Esther Derby
This is for people looking for sites on the web that focus on effective
software management and development. I pick web sites for two reasons:
thought provoking, practical content and great links. The two below
provide information and insights that I can use in my work, and give me new
ideas to approach software process improvement.
SHAPE Forum at Jerry Weinberg's web site, http://www.geraldmweinberg.com,
is usually one of the first sites I check when I logon to the Internet.
Jerry is one of the legends of software development. He is known for his
technical contributions and also for his insights into the human aspects of
software development. SHAPE is a "members only" site -- the cost of
membership for a year is about the same as a couple of popular press books
-- and for me, it's well worth the money. Jerry moderates the
conversation, which keeps dialogue on track and moving, and eliminates the
flaming and confrontation that is common at some open forums. Recent
topics include measurement, staying "fresh" in a rapidly changing technical
world, and to how to deal with run-away projects. There's a lot of serious
discussion, and there's humor, too. This summer, Jerry ran a jokes thread
that had me laughing out loud most every morning (check the archives).
http://www.jrothman.com is Johanna Rothman's site. Johanna is a writer,
speaker, consultant, and an active member of the Boston SPIN. She posts
many of her published articles, presentations and book commentaries. Since
Johanna writes a newsletter of her own, the site is updated with shorter
pieces on a regular basis. She has a pragmatic approach to improving
product development, and I find that I can apply many of her ideas in my
own work. I recently worked with a client who didn't see the economic
value of technical reviews; I found an article on Johanna's site "What
does it Cost You to Fix a Defect," that gave me some numbers to help make
the value clear. Johanna's site also has a great links page.
Copyright (c) 1999 Esther Derby.
ESTHER DERBY works with companies and individuals to increase their
effectiveness in developing software and managing software development.
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TEN PROJECT HAIKU
by Rick Brenner
I
Our project was late,
so we added more people.
The problem got worse.
II
When requirements changed,
the schedule did not--were we
headed for trouble?
III
We were doing fine,
'til they reduced the budget.
Now we're overspent.
IV
We think about risks.
We have contingency plans.
Oops...but not for that.
V
I gave estimates.
They cut all of them in half.
Next time I'll pad them.
VI
We can't get it right
and still come in on schedule.
Why can't we do both?
VII
We hired consultants
who told us how to fix things.
They don't understand.
VIII
There is no more time,
but the work is unfinished.
Take more time from Test.
IX
The module failed Test,
so first we changed all the Tests.
Now the requirements.
X
If a project fails
but no one reports it has,
Has it really failed?
Copyright (c) 1999 Richard Brenner
RICK BRENNER is principal of Chaco Canyon Consulting in Boston. He works
with technology organizations who need state-of-the-art teamwork to produce
leading-edge products and services. His web site is
http://www.ChacoCanyon.com.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS & CALENDAR
Recent and upcoming SPIN meetings:
Format: *SPIN name (contact information), Date, Topic, Presenter
(presenter's organization)
*Atlanta (http://www.cc.gatech.edu/SPIN/), no additional information
*Bay Area Round Table ? BART (http://www.ics.uci.edu/IRUS/), 11/12/99,
(Panel Topic) "Y2K: Start the Party or Sound the Dirge?", Coordinator: Tony
Wasserman (Software Methods & Tools)
*Boston (http://www.cs.uml.edu/Boston-SPIN), 11/16/99, "Good Enough
Quality", James Bach
*Chicago (http://www.prairienet.org/cspin/), 10/7/99, "CSC SEAS Center's
Experiences to Attaining Level 5", Frank McGarry (CSC)
*Los Angeles (http://www.sunset.usc.edu/las/index.html), 10/27/99, "Cost,
Quality, and Risk Modeling: A European Perspective" & "Evolution, not
Revolution", Adrian Cowderoy
*Northeast Ohio, 10/6/99, "What do we need to know? The Software
Engineering Body of Knowledge", Jack Bar-Ness (Picker International)
*Pittsburgh, 11/10/99, "Personal Software Process (PSP) (SM)", Alan Koch
*Research Triangle Park, 10/28/99, "Using the ICED T Model to Test
Subjective Software Qualities", Andy Roth (Rational)
*Rochester, NY (http://www.rsqu.org), 11/11/99, "Do You Believe in Fairies?
What about Software Process Improvement?", Jack Hill (The Navigation Group)
*Silicon Valley, 10/20/99, "A Tailorable Software Process Mini-Assessment
Method", Diane McDonald
*Southern California (http://www.ics.uci.edu/IRUS/), 12/3/99, (Panel Topic)
"The Effect of Corporate Mergers and Teaming on CMM-Based Cultures: Will
this Takeover Impact our CMM Level?", Coordinator: George W. O'Mary
(Boeing)
*Toronto (http://www.interlog.com/~torspin/), 11/4/99, "Process that Works:
Liberating Software Processes" & "Developing Web Applications", Gerry de
Koning & Robert Fabian
*Twin Cities Quality Assurance Association TCQAA (http://www.tcqaa.org),
11/11/99, Facilitated Quality Round Tables
*Washington D.C. (http://www.software.org/dcspin), 11/3/99, "Lessons
Learned from an SEI Level 5 Assessment", Dana Roper (Lockheed Martin)
*Washington D.C. SSQ, 11/9/99, "National Software Quality Experiment: A
Lesson In Measurement: 1992-1997", Don O'Neill
Call for Papers and Presentations:
PSQT '00 South
Sixth International Conference on Practical Software Quality Techniques
March 13-17, Austin, Texas
Abstract due November 14, 1999
Details are available at http://www.psqtconference.com
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ABOUT TwinSPIN
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For the Minneapolis/St. Paul Regional Area
TwinSPIN Mission Statement
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The TwinSPIN software process improvement network (SPIN) is a regional
organization established in January of 1996 as a forum for the free and
open exchange of software process improvement experiences and ideas.
Representatives from industry, government, academia, other professional
organizations, and consultants are welcome to participate. Our mission is
to help sustain commitment and enhance skills in the area of software
process improvement through an active program of networking and mutual
support. The organization strives to serve as a source of educational and
experiential information for its members, other SPIN organizations, and the
general community of software professionals. (May 1996)
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Meetings are normally held on the 1st Thursday of each month from 6-8 PM.
TwinSPIN is a non-profit organization.
============================================================================
TwinSPIN web site:
http://www.homepage2.rconnect.com/glewwe/TwinSPIN/
All articles, reviews and commentaries are copyright by the authors, unless
otherwise noted. All rights are reserved to the authors. We encourage
sharing the TwinSPIN Newsletter in whole or in part if copyright and
attribution are always included.
The following files related to this event are available for download:
Issue 1 text version (November 1999)
Optimizing Software Engineering Specification Quality Control Processes (Inspections)
Type: application/rtf, Size: 43 KB
Description: Optimizing Software Engineering Specification Quality Control Processes (Inspections) by Tom Gilb
