Our May, 2009 meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 26th at 6:00PM. Please RSVP to news@ssq.org.

Topic

Achieving High Software Compliance and Quality

F. Alan Goodman – “The Process Guy”

Download the presentation (PDF)

All the software maturity models, standards, and regulations have a common theme: Have a solid process basis; Follow those processes operationally; Be able to prove it. Companies that do all these also get higher software quality, higher process repeatability, higher developmental controls, and a mechanism for true process improvements, reducing life cycle costs, reducing time-to-market durations, and shortening system test times.

It just makes good business sense to pay attention to this aspect of your business! It also makes good business sense to eliminate all the wasted time for employees to wonder about day-to-day operational aspects that a good process basis addresses. All these affect your bottom line cost dollars and profits especially in this current business environment.

Processes exist primarily to address day-to-day business operations. Companies that put in processes to get a CMMI score or to answer regulatory issues primarily have missed the point. Companies that have software quality only testing product have missed the point. The big “Q” of “Quality” is firmly planted in the software development process area.

Too many companies have bad processes. It is no wonder they have both trouble on a day-to-day operational level but also for passing regulatory audits, ISO audits, or CMMI assessments. They mix up the “whats”, “hows”, “policies” and “life cycles” and somehow hope that people follow something of interest in the process pile of stuff!

Al Goodman will show you an awesome process approach that not only does wonders for your business operations but also provides a high level of software quality that is built-in to this disciplined approach. If you are interested in seeing the enormous value to a layered process architectural basis to business operations, compliance, and quality – this session is for you.

About Our Speaker

Al Goodman holds a MScEE degree from the University of California (Santa Barbara) and is a freelance software process consultant. He has had every known technical and managerial role in software engineering throughout his career.

Al has been a past president of the San Diego chapter of the Society for Software Quality (SSQ). He has taught computer-related courseware at UCSD Extension, West Coast University and National University. He has California teaching credentials for engineering topics at the college level. He has also conducted full-day tutorials for INCOSE (International Council for Systems Engineering) and PMI (Project Management Institute) for continuing membership credits.

Al has extensive experience in the process field and has authored two books on his approach (Auerbach publishers):

• “Defining and Deploying Software Processes” ISBN 0-8493-9845-2.
• “Process-Based Software Project Management” ISBN 0-8493-7304-2

He does process consultation for both medical devices companies (FDA compliance, CMMI, ISO 62304) and government contracting companies (primarily CMMI, ISO 9001).

Cost:

Members and first-time guests: $8.00, non-members: $15.00.

Location:

Cardinal Health
(C1-A306)
6055 Lusk Blvd
San Diego CA 92121

From Lusk Blvd turn right at first driveway. Turn left at the roundabout. Drive around to the back of the building and park. The conference room is located at the rear of the bldg. and is accessible from the parking lot.

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