Just added:
Henson Graves will speak on “Why Programs Fail“.
Some personal observations are made about why large software intensive programs often fail, or at least are over budget, don’t meet schedule, and under produce in terms of quality. The observations apply not only to software systems but to software-intensive physical systems. The observations start with failures in organization and responsibility allocation, and work down to failures attributed to processes and design methods. Observations are made about how development progress can be realistically measured. Some conclusions emerge as to how to avoid pitfalls, and what could be done to fix systemic problems. The methods for measuring technical progress suggest methods for determining program success or failure prognosis. One wants to at least keep from get blindsided unnecessarily when a program goes in the ditch.
Over 30 years of aerospace experience with the development and analysis of software-intensive systems. Lockheed Martin Senior Fellow (Emeritus). Developed one of the first effective auto-code systems (“LEAP”), to produce software for an operational satellite; technical lead for the DARPA Simulation Based Design Program; lead for Joint Strike Fighter distributed product information management system; published over 20 papers on a variety of system, software, and information management topics; currently focusing research and development to integrate formal methods of logic with Model-Based System Engineering methodology, including the establishment of a formal semantics for SysML using OWL.
Just added:
Eric Willeke will be speaking on “Value Stream Languages“.
Every experienced practitioner has their story of the pointless project. There is a connection missing somewhere between the executive direction set by the corporate leaders and your current project. Alignment between the project and the business is missing even when the value is clearly evident. Why does this happen, and how can we help?
Awareness of the languages used by different roles in the context of a lean value stream and the perspectives of Feature Injection and Behavior Driven Development frames a conversation exploring the sources of this disconnect and how recognizing these operational languages can guide systemic improvement within and across layers of the value stream.
I am a pathfinder. I contribute on technical teams by seeking new approaches to accomplish our goals, and then amplify by helping my entire team gain the same capabilities. I explore ways to work faster and more effectively, and then I engage those around me in learning and expanding those methods. I passionately learn and improve myself, and then I joyously share the learning moments of my peers. My work, my love, my passion, and my career are in the people; the technology is just a context in which I work.
These continual changes in context have exposed me to a number of risk environments, regulatory frameworks, process environments, management structures, technical platforms, and architectural approaches. These differences continually teach me how to see the patterns within our industries.
Just added;
Mike Sivertsen will speak on “Cognitive Kanban: Improving Decisions in a Complex World“.
Complexity is ever-present and increasing in systems engineering and software development. However, most systems engineering standards, computer models and associated approaches are best suited to environments in which requirements are known or knowable, and cause and effect are closely linked.
The Cynefin (ku-NEV-in) framework (developed by David Snowden) provides for improved decision making in both typical and more challenging situations. Simple, complicated, complex and chaotic domains require different approaches in order to best meet project goals. Through techniques derived from social computing and a kanban-like “pull” approach, people’s fragmented knowledge and understanding (“cognition”) can be combined to build better decisions than the sum of the parts. This speeds and strengthens individual and organizational responses to competitive threats. Examples drawn from business, science and technology will illustrate lessons to be learned and useful practices across a continuum from strategic to tactical.
For 30 years Michael (Mike) Sivertsen has applied a wide range of technical skills and “Learning Faster” business solutions to increase organizational and individual performance. These solutions have individually returned cost-savings up to $1 million. His industry background in energy, IT, and aerospace has spanned positions such as Health Physicist, Nuclear Engineer Instructional Designer, Business Systems Analyst, Information Architect, Consultant–Organization and Leadership Development, and Systems Engineer.
In 2004, he received Lockheed Martin Aeronautics’ highest award, the Aero Star, for developing a unique tool for improving program management leadership. From 2004 to 2006, Mike pioneered advances in information and knowledge management to enable capturing the “lessons learned” of work groups and individuals on the largest aerospace program in U.S. history, the F-35 aircraft. Mike is currently a leader in a knowledge continuity program at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (LM Aero) in Fort Worth, Texas.
Mike earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Minnesota in 1979 and a Master of Knowledge Management from California State University, Northridge, in 2009. He currently holds a Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) designation from the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE).
Just added:
Richard Turner will speak about “Sibling Rivalry: Can lean approaches help integrate systems and software engineering?“.
We live in a world where our conceptual reach is on the verge of exceeding our technological grasp. This is particularly true of the complex systems we depend on daily for entertainment, communication, safety, security and transportation. Our ability to build these systems is increasingly challenged. Dr. Turner asserts that a significant part of the problem resides in a disconnect and a form of sibling rivalry between two critical development disciplines: systems and software engineering. He discusses the impact of current system trends, why the disconnect between the two disciplines must be resolved, and suggests ways that lean approaches may provide both insight and guidance for this reconciliation.
Dr. Richard Turner is a Distinguished Service Professor at Stevens Institute, a Visiting Scientist at the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon University and a respected researcher and consultant with thirty years of international experience in systems, software and acquisition engineering. Dr. Turner has supported defense, intelligence and civil government agencies. A charter member of the author team for CMMI, he has led process improvement initiatives across a broad range of disciplines. Dr. Turner is co-author of three books: Balancing Agility and Discipline: A Guide for the Perplexed, CMMI Distilled , and CMMI Survival Guide: Just Enough Process Improvement.
Just added:
James Sutton will be speaking on “Lean Systems Engineering: Key to Accomplishing Big Things“.
Lean focuses work on value, which speeds development and reduces waste. Agile emergentbehavior provides ways to deal with ambiguity and defer commitment until it is absolutely necessary. In software projects, Lean and Agile are most commonly applied to fairly simple problems; their writings mostly address these kinds of situations. Developing more complex systems, or even simpler systems where above-normal assurance of success is needed, is greatly aided by the ideas in Systems Engineering. Mr. Sutton will give an overview of how relatively simple ideas from Systems Engineering can “super-charge” your Lean efforts and make your programs successful even in highly-challenging situations and with very-demanding customers.
James Sutton’s passion is for unleashing the power and joy of human creativity in the development of systems. He is a chief software-systems architect whose designs and processes have consistently quadrupled productivity compared to company and industry norms, accompanied by a ten-times reduction in defects compared to normal. His book “Lean Software Strategies” won the 2007 Shingo Prize, which Business Week has called “The Nobel Prize of Manufacturing.” He is an INCOSE (International Council on Systems Engineering) CSEP (Certified Systems Engineering Professional), with a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering from Southern Methodist University. More recently, he joined with other recognized experts such as David Anderson, Dean Leffingwell, Alan Shalloway and Don Reinertsen in co-founding the Lean Software and Systems Consortium.
