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The Distributive ENote
A monthly e-newsletter from Distributive Management
June 2009 Issue 114
"The risk with any metric is that people will come to see it as a description of reality, rather than a tool for a conversation about reality"
~ Rowena Young, Skroll Foundation |
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 Managing Software Projects is a Full Contact Sport
See How to Meet the Challenge Head-On Using DataDrill
In a single package, DataDrill brings together the goals of the software project team and the organization. Using dashboards, performance metrics, built-in software best practices and automated data collection, DataDrill delivers the accurate, up-to-date management information that no successful software development project can do without.
See it in Action! Join our live, complimentary webinar and demo session on Wednesday, July 8th at 1pm EDT. Register Now
With DataDrill, software projects can:
- Launch an Out-of-the-Box Measurement Process that's Tailorable
- Deploy Software Management Best Practices
- Manage Projects By Exception
- Demonstrate Compliance against Standards and Models
- Quickly Initiate a New Software Development Project
- Integrate and Collect Key Software Project Metrics
When: Thu. July 9th 2009 @ 1pm EST (GMT-5)
Cost: Free
Where: Online with Distributive Management
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| Developers Have Opinions Too!
Gauging Acceptance of Software Metrics Programs
Over the past 20 years, there has been considerable progress in the design and implementation of software quality programs, process improvement techniques, and metrics initiatives. Empirical evidence gathered on these topics has revealed that socio-political, cultural, and human factors are crucial to the metrics ecosystem as they can influence the social climate, attitudes of developers and the credibility of gathered data. The industry doesn't yet have a clear grasp on the impact of the human element and how it affects challenges like developer buy-in. A better understanding could transform our approach.
Medha Umarji, a PhD Candidate at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and her colleagues have developed a framework - called the Metrics Acceptance Model (MAM) - for predicting developer acceptance of metrics and other process improvement programs.
The MAM framework packages an approach to people-related issues gathered from current literature on acceptance of tools and methodologies in the workplace, and from empirical studies on measurement programs.
We invite you to contribute to the evaluation of the MAM by taking the Metrics Acceptance Survey. Participate in the Survey
Stay tuned! Survey results will be compiled into a technical article and will be shared in a future edition of this newsletter.
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Distributive to Speak at July SPIN Meeting
July 8, 2009
Measuring the Risk Management ProcessPresented by Peter Baxter, Distributive Management
 All projects have risks; no matter how hard you try, you can never eliminate all project risk. The goal of risk management is to develop information that supports informed decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. A typical risk management process allows managers to quantify the likelihood and impact of program issues. It is the measurement process that delivers risk-related information needs to managers. This presentation introduces both the risk management process and the measurement process, and details a framework for selecting risk-related measures. The practical framework provides a simple technique for refining management's information needs into an actionable measurement process. Following this technique results in effective measures that provide the information that managers want and ensure that you are not collecting data that no one wants. During the presentation, Mr. Baxter will demonstrate how three popular risk measures are refined into a measurement process.
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Re-think & Revive Your Measurement Program
Sizzling performance is driven by informed, timely decisions - seizing opportunities quickly and addressing problems early. Performance measurement lies at the heart of effective management decisions.
But measurement is an effective management tool only if it provides the information decision makers require to accurately monitor key issues and performance against plans.
Are you collecting what is easy, rather than what is needed? Does management support you? Is measurement data actually used to make process and performance improvements? Is your measurement program universally respected?
Maybe it's time to assess your measurement program's effectiveness?
Download "Measurement Process Effectiveness" for practical steps you can take to conduct a measurement effectiveness survey and then use the results to improve measurement effectiveness.
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Highlights of Washington Metro Area INCOSE Event
An enthusiastic crowd gathered to share knowledge and network with fellow members of the measurement community at June's Washington Metro Area INCOSE Chapter meeting. Distributive Management's Peter Baxter was the evening's speaker.
"An impressive group with challenging questions and interesting discussion," said Baxter of the meeting. "they are certainly leaders in the systems engineering community."
Some highlights from the evening's presentation are:
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Identifying Software Quality Measures
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Determining Risk Information Needs
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Developing Risk Measures
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Defining Information Needs and Estimate Risk Process Needs
Additional Resources:
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Read more ENotes on our web site at www.distributive.com/company_newsletter.html. The Distributive ENote is a free, subscription-based electronic newsletter produced by Distributive Management as a service to the performance management community. The ENote provides insight and information on performance management and improvement processes, as well as Distributive Management product information. |
| Conundrum: Trouble With Sons |
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A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?
THE ANSWER | |
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