Course Description

Course Name:	Improving Software & Hardware Reliability using Goal-Driven Measurements and Metrics
Time & Date:	8:30AM - 4:30PM, Tuesday, Nov. 2
Location:	Holiday Inn Select Hotel, 15 Middlesex Canal Park Road, Woburn, MA
Speaker:	Joseph Raynus, Founder and Principal Consultant, ShareDynamics

Course Summary:

Measurement and analysis involves gathering quantitative data about products and processes and analyzing that data to influence your actions and plans. Nearly all management approaches have found that the best way to improve any process is to draw upon relevant, quantitative data. This emphasis on measurement and subsequent analysis may be embodied in the concept of key performance indicators (KPIs), that refer to carefully selected parameters which are important in describing performance. They are called “key” because they are either very descriptive of or very significant to an assessment of performance and are used to mitigate risk and make informed decisions.

This workshop teaches managers and engineers how to utilize Goal-Question-Metric method to identify and define KPIs and measures that directly support development process and goals. The methods taught are relevant to product development, process improvement and project management. The workshop reviews process, methods and techniques for collecting and analyzing data for assessing development progress and product reliability, analyze challenges and proactively take action.

Using hands-on exercises, participants learn how to determine success, progress and analysis indicators that show traceability form higher-level goals right down to the precise data collected, insuring relevance and traceability from goals to data.

The workshop will also provide an overview of scorecard concepts and present a practical approach to development of an effective measurement scorecards by developing a top-down cascading structure where each level of measurement information directly relates to its successor and predecessor and provides facility to consistently monitor process performance, prioritize issues, manage risk and improve communications.

Who should attend?

Software and hardware engineers involved in development and testing of products and systems
Quality Assurance professionals
Process improvement managers and team members
Project and process managers
Professionals who need reliable quantitative information to guide acquiring, supporting, planning, or tracking software or hardware systems

What will you learn?

How to define and use goal-driven measures to manage and improve software projects, products, and processes
How to establish a measurement program that is aligned with the organization’s business processes
Define measures and indicators that support the measurement requirements of a group or organization
Understand a concept of measurement scorecards
Learn how to develop a top-down measurement scorecard/dashboard structure for monitoring and

Materials:

Students will receive a course workbook that contains copies of the presentation materials, class exercises, templates, key references, URSs and other useful materials discussed in class.

About the Instructor:

Joseph Raynus, Founder and Principal Consultant, ShareDynamics; Professor, Northeastern University College of Engineering.

Joseph Raynus is a Founder and Principal Consultant at ShareDynamics, an information technology process performance management consulting company that helps organizations to achieve their strategic goals by translating them into realistic indicators to monitor, balance and adjust process performance. ShareDynamics has partnered with the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver training and consulting services in the area of Measurement and Analysis. Joseph is certified by the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, and has conducted many assessments, training and implementations of processes across all phases of a project life cycle.

Mr. Raynus is a pioneer in the computer industry and an early champion of software metrics, measurements, software quality and reliability. Mr. Raynus was a Founding Member of The National Software Council, supporting the recognition of software as a critical resource and economic force (1995) and a member of its Advisory Board.

Mr. Raynus is a frequent speaker at industry events and the author of several books including “Software Process Improvement with CMM,” (Boston: Artech House, 1999) which is also available in Japanese and Chinese; and his latest, “Improving Business Process Performance: Gain Agility, Create Value, and Achieve Success” (NY: Taylor & Francis, October, 2010) which is dedicated to the issues of Quantitative Performance Management, strategy definition and organizational alignment.

In addition to his work as Principal Consultant at ShareDynamics, Mr. Raynus is an Adjunct Professor of Information Systems at Northeastern University College of Engineering, where he teaches courses in Information Systems Planning and Management and Business Process Engineering.

Decision (Run/Cancel) Date for this Courses is Friday, October 25, 2010

FEES

Payment received by October 20: IEEE Members $250

Payment received by October 20: Non-members $280

Payment received after October 20: IEEE Members $280

Payment received after October 20: Non-members $305