Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Hey, CMMI Appraiser - Where can I find you on Twitter? ~ Paul C.

Dear Readers,

Did you know that Ask the CMMI Appraiser is on Twitter?



If you're one of over two thousand of our followers, you're already getting our daily tweets packed with CMMI knowledge.  You know we're different because we help you focus on the fact that Process Improvement, Agile, and CMMI are all about the transformation of the culture of your company.

Join the movement! Click to follow us on Twitter right now @CMMIAppraiser.  What could be easier -- or more fun?

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about engineering strategy, performance innovation, software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

When is the next "Agile Scrum Learning Experience" in Virginia?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser,

When is your next Agile training class in the DC area? ~ F. Montcrief

Hey, F,

Good news, if you're looking to participate in agile training before the end of the year. We've got a DC-area Agile training class coming up right around the corner.  Join us for the Agile Scrum Learning Experience!


Agile Scrum Learning Experience

A 2-Day Workshop for IT Teams

Come on over to Fairfax, VA on December 13/14, for this two-day, hands-on, experiential workshop that is based on the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) and Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) certifications from Scrum.org.

What's the class like?

In a word, useful. You'll actually get to make decisions as part of a Scrum team, where you'll experience Agile values, participate in Scrum ceremonies, try on new roles, and figure out how to deal with artifacts and documentation (eeeek!). You'll experience these lessons by working through a series of exciting, fast-paced projects that use legos, dart guns, cards, balloons, and videos.

Yes, you'll have fun. But these are real-life Agile skills you'll be learning here, that can completely transform your company and career. All within an Agile setting, you'll get to play the role of Scrum Master, Scrum Product Owner, Agile Team Member and Customer. You'll iterate. You'll collaborate. You'll fail fast. You'll learn to be more Agile.

Check it out. Class doors close in two weeks.  REGISTER HERE

Hope to see you there!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

What's the most important question we should be asking ourselves?

Dear Readers, for the past several weeks, this CMMI Appraiser has been sharing excerpts from a conversation with Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces™. Bill interviewed me about our innovative approach to creating forward-thinking workplaces. Here’s my response to Bill’s final question, “What's the most important question we should be asking ourselves?” Enjoy!

Hey, Jeff, What's the most important question we should be asking ourselves? ~ Bill Fox, Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces

Hey, Bill,

Ha! Ask me an easy one! But I think the one of the most important questions that we can ask ourselves is, "Why not?"


As human beings we are so acclimated to conformance. Even in the US, which is probably the least conforming nation in the world, a place where engineers are known for extreme innovation through winging it, thinking outside the box, and for challenging authority, we don't often ask, “Why not?” Too many companies run their teams by saying “because I said so.” Screw that.

I've been encouraging my children to ask this question because they'll come home from college and say, "You know, the teacher said I can't do that." I say, "Well, why not?" They'll say, "There’s nothing I can do." And I'll say, "Why not?"

Sometimes I’ll be in a contract negotiation with a really large manufacturing client and they'll say, "Well, we can't go with you unless you have this manufacturing liability insurance” even though it has nothing to do with what we do. And I'll say, "Why not?" Lawyers are called, managers are consulted, and procurement is befuddled. But they eventually come around to see there is no good reason why not. Good times!

I think "Why not?" is the most important question because we need to get people to explain and verbalize why they take the positions they do. So many times they’re just repeating what they think is an unbreakable rule. Instead of saying, "I won't do that," or "We can't do that," let's say, "Why not? Why can't we do that?" Let's start the conversation, let's collaborate on the answer and let's figure out how everybody can win here and that starts with those two simple words, "Why not?"

Broadsword offers CMMI Training for those who say, “Why not?” – Why not get the value the CMMI was intended to provide? Why not learn to change behavior and improve performance? Our next “Intro to CMMI” class is on November 2-4, in San Diego, CA. Click here to register for the CMMI class.

[This concludes the excerpts from my interview with Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces. Thanks for reading!]

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

What's the most important question employees should be asking management?

Dear Readers, for the past several weeks, this CMMI Appraiser has been sharing excerpts from a conversation with Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces™. Bill interviewed me about our innovative approach to creating forward-thinking workplaces. Here’s my response to Bill’s fifth question, “What's the most important question employees should be asking management?” Enjoy!

Hey, Jeff, What's the most important question employees should be asking management? ~ Bill Fox, Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces

Hey, Bill, I'm writing a book for young technology professionals about how they can take steps early on to be more successful in their career. As part of that book, I've been interviewing CEOs of technology companies to get their perspective.
One of the things I'm hearing from them is that, especially with the younger team members, they are not focused on making the company successful. They are not asking, “What can I personally to do to make you and your company more successful?” I think the most important question an employee should be asking management is, "How can I make this organization rock?" "How can I help us win?"

When I was coming up in the technology business I used to ask my immediate manager “how can I make you successful in your mission?”

I think sometimes people, especially in large companies, don't really see the traceability between their actions and the success of the company. They have a bit of a disconnect between sales and engineering. If you go to a big engineering company like Lockheed Martin, L3 or SAIC, the engineers have very little visibility into what the sales team is doing. There tends to be some friction between the two groups. I tell them, "Look, this is a team. Nothing happens unless your sales people sell something.” And the sales people don’t continue to be rewarded if you don’t deliver. We all need each other! If the accounts receivable manager can’t get her invoices out, none of us can pay our rent – help make everyone successful!

I think people need to do a better job of saying, "What can I do to help this company be more successful?" Then get really specific on it and focus on those things. If they start asking those questions then everyone is going to be communicating and be on the same page, which should be “let's make this organization rock, so we have great careers, build great products, and have a great time doing it!” Anything else is a waste of talent.

For those interested in CMMI Training as a way to receive the right amount of process guidance so you can change behavior and improve performance, we invite you to attend our Intro to CMMI class on November 2-4, in San Diego, CA. Register here.

[Please check back soon for the final question from Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces: What's the most important question we should be asking ourselves?]

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.


Thursday, September 29, 2016

Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces: What is the most important question leaders should be asking employees?

Dear Readers, for the next several weeks, this CMMI Appraiser will be sharing excerpts from a conversation with Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces™. Bill interviewed me about our innovative approach to creating forward-thinking workplaces. Here’s my response to Bill’s fourth question, “What is the most important question leaders should be asking employees?” Enjoy!

Hey, Jeff,

What is the most important question leaders should be asking employees? ~ Bill Fox, Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces


Hey, Bill,

“How can I help?” This is a really important question that we don't hear often enough. I try to remember to ask this question every day to at least one person. How can I help you succeed in what you're doing? How can I help your each your goal? If you look at the model we've developed where people have autonomy to grow their in own area of interest, the most important thing is to help them do that.


But I also sometimes get more specific with it, “Specifically, what I can do right now to help make you more successful?” I think this notion of servant leadership is over-hyped in our market, but I really believe in the principle. Teams want you to make decisions and be a strong leader, but they also want you to serve them and help make them successful.

In the book “We Were Soldiers Once . . .and Young” the protagonist (legendary Calvary Lt. Colonel Hal Moore famously promised his young troopers that, “When we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to step off.” That’s been my model since I first read those words.

[Please check back soon for Question #5 from Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces: “What's the most important question employees should be asking management?”]

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.


Thursday, September 15, 2016

Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces: What do people really lack and long for at work?

Dear Readers, for the next several weeks, this CMMI Appraiser will be sharing excerpts from a conversation with Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces™. Bill interviewed me about our innovative approach to creating forward-thinking workplaces. Here’s my response to Bill’s third question, “What do people really lack and long for at work?” Enjoy!

Hey, Jeff,

What do people really lack and long for at work? ~ Bill Fox, Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces

Hey, Bill,

It's interesting because this has really evolved over the last decade. When I was a young programmer and then consultant, what was most important was a solid career track, making more money, and moving up to be a partner, senior manager, or vice president. People were really focused on that. 


I've been excited this past couple of years because it seems like the workforce is evolving. People are more interested in the work environment with time and challenge being the most important things. People want to have time to do the things that are important in their life. A career, making money and moving up are the things that people do, but it's not the reason we work. We don't work to move up and get a new title. We don't work to make an additional $50,000 per year. Those things are nice and good things (and wholly necessary), but what we really work for is to spend time with our family, relax, read, and do other pursuits outside of our careers. And be challenged every day.

As part of our own Holacracy journey, we have implemented a couple of new policies. One of them is we have an unlimited Personal Time Off (PTO) policy. We have no designated vacation days by role. We used to say if you were a senior consultant you got three weeks. If you were a manager, you got four weeks. Now we say, “OK, you take the PTO that you need to take to make yourself successful.” That way people get ample vacation time, but more importantly they get ample time to take off to do things that are important to them. All they need to do is collaborate with their peers to ensure nothing falls on the floor.

What we were finding with the traditional model of time management was that someone would use up their vacation, and then they would have miss important family events, or have to come to us asking special permission to get that time off. Who likes doing that? With the model we have now, it's much more about supporting the team and being collaborative. The person brings it to the team and says, “I need to take four days off to go to a wedding.” And the team will say, “Ok that’s fine with us, we can pick up some slack and succeed without you being there.” If someone on the team were to abuse the policy – which has not happened in the two years we’ve been doing it – the team would most certainly let them know that they’re not being a team player!

We do, however, have guidelines. For example, our clients have to be taken care of, and important internal tasks must be accounted for. Team members know that if they have your back, you’ll have theirs. Allowing people to use their time in a way that satisfies their life, as well as their career, has been a game changer in the business. It frees up the organization to be a lot nimbler and a lot more focused on what is important. It's created a very strong and dedicated group of professionals.

[Please check back soon for Question #4 from Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces: “What is the most important question leaders should be asking employees?”]

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces: What does it take to get an employee's full attention and best performance?

Dear Readers, for the next several weeks, this CMMI Appraiser will be sharing excerpts from a conversation with Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces™. Bill interviewed me about our innovative approach to creating forward-thinking workplaces. Here’s my response to Bill’s second question, “What does it take to get an employee's full attention and best performance?” Enjoy!

Hey, Jeff,

What does it take to get an employee's full attention and best performance? ~ Bill Fox, Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces


Hey, Bill,

This is a complicated question, with many inputs and qualifiers. I've struggled with this idea my whole career. But if I’m proud of anything in my career, it’s that I’ve done a decent job bringing great performance out of people. I think the way to do that is to encourage and motivate them to want to do it and to be excited about what they're doing.



I'm always reminded of the mantras of the Armed Services. The Navy says, “People, People, People” is their focus. The Army says, “Process, Process, Process.” And the Air Force says, “Mission, Mission, Mission.” These are the things that you hear military professionals talk about as being what really drives them in their particular branch.

What I've learned in my company is that people want to be excited about all three of those things, the mission being the most important one. It isn't enough just to give them a mission and a goal. You also need to focus on the people, making it easier for them to focus on the mission.

Finally, process is important too. Process is nothing more than a definition of expected behavior, and I find that the right amount of process guidance can be very liberating and a powerful force in growing your culture. So, it’s a three-legged stool – and architecture of sorts. Laying out a very clear mission that's exciting to them, laying out a clear vision for culture that helps people be successful, and laying out the process in a way that makes their job easier and more successful. All three things together have to be intertwined and work together.

Anyone interested in CMMI Training, as a way to receive the right amount of process guidance so you can change behavior and improve performance, is invited to attend our Intro to CMMI training class on September 20-23, outside of Detroit, MI. Register here!

[Please check back soon for Question #3 from Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces: What do people really lack and long for at work?]

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces: How can we create workplaces where more voices matter?

Dear Readers, over the next several weeks, this CMMI Appraiser will be sharing snippets from a conversation with Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces™. Bill interviewed me about our innovative approach to creating forward-thinking workplaces. Here’s “Making Every Voice Matter at Broadsword.” Enjoy!]

Hey, Jeff,

I’d like to start by asking, how can we create workplaces where more voices matter, people thrive and find meaning, and change and innovation happen naturally? ~ Bill Fox, Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces


Hey, Bill,

We've been struggling with this question for 10 years at Broadsword, the company I founded eleven years ago. We started out as a traditional consulting firm with a leveraged model and different levels of performers - senior consultants, directors, and managers. We were a little bit like a traditional Big 4 consulting model, which is where we some of us came from. 



Last year we had a joint epiphany. We were out there in the world talking with our clients about agile, self-organization and collaboration when we realized we weren't doing a good job at it ourselves! We really wanted to ensure that all of the smart people who worked at our company had a voice, but more importantly, felt like they were contributing and thriving in their own lives. We wanted them to feel like they were empowered to do the things they needed to do to be delighted. So I started what I call the "no victims" policy. There are no victims in our company - everyone is empowered to do what they need to do to be successful. They're empowered to resolve issues and be equals. No managers.

Of course, you can’t be successful without some level of organization, so in order to facilitate this policy, we've started to adopt a model called “Holacracy.” I was literally Googling “self-organizing companies” when I ran across the Holacracy website. I'm not sure how much you've been following Brian Robinson and his journey, but Brian created this model a number of years ago and has helped many companies find great success with self-organization. It's a constitution-based model where your organization is self-governing. In some ways it’s a super-charged version of what we’ve been doing with our clients – crisply defined processes where people have very clear defined roles in the constitution. They have a lot of input into each role, and theirs is is designed to give them the meaning they are searching for. Obviously, we have some roles that have to be performed, but there are also elective roles so that people are focusing on the things that make them most empowered and most successful in their careers.

One of the key concepts in Holacracy is "learning to separate role from soul." An individual at our company might have 20 roles. For example, I have a role such as “writer of proposals,” and another like “reviewer of financials.” I also have “teacher of classes” (a role others also have) and “planner of retreats. We're codifying all of the roles in our constitution, and are starting to become proficient in this self-organization model where every employee is responsible for their own meaning and their own innovation. It's really starting to change the face of our company.

For a while we had a couple of dedicated managers - people whose job it was to direct the other people. We realized early on we were uncomfortable with this because everyone in our company is a high performer. People needed coaching more than management, and I became concerned that too much oversight was stifling innovation (another thing we always tell our clients!). We haven't fully implemented Holacracy yet, but we are on the path. The results have been overwhelmingly positive.

[Please check back soon for Question #2 from Bill Fox on Exploring Forward-thinking Workplaces: What does it take to get an employee's full attention and best performance?]

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Monday, August 8, 2016

Who receives a “CMMI certification,” the organization or the team?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser – our IT organization is interested in using the CMMI for performance improvement. If we’re successful with our CMMI adoption, who receives the CMMI certification – the organization or the team? ~ Renata B.

Hey, Renata,

None of the above. When your organization is successful in adopting the CMMI, no one gets a CMMI certificate.

What? How is that fair? Well, allow me to shed some light.




It’s more than a matter of terminology, Renata, but it starts there. See, when an organization takes a proper approach to CMMI, and is successful with its SCAMPI-A appraisal, it achieves a Capability Rating, or Maturity Level, such as CMMI Level 2 or CMMI Level 3. This is cause for celebration, because the company has put itself on the path to greatness. But it’s not a cause for certification, because …

CMMI certification isn’t a thing, as the kids would say.

In our lingo, there’s no such thing as an organization getting a “CMMI certification.” It’s a misnomer.

Now, it certainly seemed real enough when our friends at the Department of Defense started creating an environment where a CMMI mandate felt and looked like a certification. Many electronics and software companies in the commercial sector followed suit. They began routinely inserting requirements in their RFPs and contracts that suppliers be at a certain CMMI Level, which sounded like a certification, but it’s not.

This is an important distinction, Renata. Focusing on CMMI certification is a misguided interpretation of what actually needs to be done. Not saying YOU are in this predicament, but a lot of organizations will take this misguided interpretation and go right off a cliff with it. By focusing only on chasing the piece of paper, not improvement, they end up losing all the value of the CMMI.

You don’t want that, for two big reasons.

First, your clients want you to be better at what you do. That’s a noble intention. We all want that for ourselves, to be in a continuously improving environment. The CMMI guides your journey to getting better at what you are ALREADY doing.

Second, and this is a secret (so don't tell ANYONE)! It's easier to do it right than it is to chase the paper! And you also get all the benefits of the CMMI. What's not to like?

The value of the CMMI comes from the transformation of the culture of your company. It’s about changing the way we behave, so that we build products that are better than other companies that are building similar products - albeit with lame processes that cost more, produce lower quality, and make employees unhappy.

You can’t transform a culture by going out and getting certificates. When we put a “certification” mindset around getting better, it drives the wrong kind of behaviors.

If you’d like to learn more about taking a proper approach to the CMMI, Renata, you may be interested in our “Intro to CMMI-DEV” class, which is being held in Detroit, MI, on September 20-23. Also, if you are interested in learning additional new skills, and being more agile, the class also includes a supplemental, one-day Scrum Learning Experience.

You’re invited to join us, and bring your team!

For more information on "Intro to CMMI-DEV" training class, click here:


Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

What is the Agile Scrum Learning Experience?

Dear CMMI Appraiser, what is the Agile Scrum Learning Experience and is it the best kind of agile training for my team? We are a 31-year old software engineering organization in Northern Virginia that uses Waterfall. ~ Simon W.

Simon,

It really doesn't matter what methods or approaches you currently use when deciding between agile training classes. Instead, focus on picking a class designed around how you learn best.

So let's explore this.  Do you find you're more engaged -- and learning more -- when you get to play games, do exercises, tell stories and listen to your peers? Is it useful for you to work with real life examples, experiences, lessons and proven techniques?  Is it important that you take away – and retain – valuable information to be used on the job, immediately?


These are the concepts driving the "Agile Scrum Learning Experience" training class, which takes place in October in Austin, TX.  The Agile Scrum Learning Experience provides an opportunity to learn about agile values, frameworks, and techniques the way many people say they learn best.

This class is useful for those who are preparing to sit for the Professional Scrum Master and Professional Scrum Product Owner certification exams from scrum.org, or just want get hands-on, experiential training environment about User Stories, Planning Poker, and more.  Here are the details:

Agile Scrum Learning Experience | October 13th-14th, 2016 | Austin, TX

Register here

So, Simon, it's your call.  There are many options when you're looking for agile training.  But if you're interested in taking a journey into agile values, Scrum, and a collection of popular agile techniques and ceremonies, and want come away with an understanding of how to how to deploy a scalable and resilient approach to agile and Scrum that integrates agile values, methods and techniques, you should definitely consider this class.

Good luck!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Does anyone win at scaling agile?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser, our biggest challenge is scaling agile. Does anyone win at this? ~ Dale K.

Dale, scaling agile is the ultimate win for just about everyone who cares about software process improvement, engineering strategy and performance innovation. When you understand how useful agile values, methods and techniques are for solving business problems, you just want see the whole organization pick it up and run with it.

The good news is, yes, there is a winning way to scale agile ...


But before you get to the high-fives and back slaps, it's always necessary to defend yourself from the nay-sayers. Everyone’s got an opinion, and some engineering and software executives and professionals complain that agile just doesn’t work across the enterprise. They claim agile doesn’t scale. Even when they hear about a tool like the CMMI, which was designed to help companies scale the way they work, they are reluctant to take the first step.

But that’s the cool thing about the CMMI. When adopted properly, it’s the perfect tool for making agile scale across the enterprise. The CMMI gives you the ability to make immediate improvements that strengthen agile in your company, which shores it up for wider adoption.

How does CMMI strengthen agile? By helping you know more about the way you work.

Knowledge is important. Any smart engineering or project manager would agree with that. Knowing how to do something and knowing what to do are very important parts of succeeding, and making the customers happy.

CMMI accelerates that process. It jump starts your knowledge, and makes you much more successful, much quicker.

Example? Let’s pick one of our agile values that we want to scale across the enterprise. Let’s say we want to scale our value of having an agile way of dealing with risk.

The CMMI guides us to ask questions that will help us learn more about how we work. Specific to this value, it guides us to gain more knowledge about the way we deal with risk. So the first CMMI question we need to ask, as we roll this out, is the following:

“What are the methods and techniques that we’re going to use to support the value of having an agile way of dealing with risk?”

It starts with our values. We want to approach risk management iteratively and incrementally. We want to get those issues of risk when they’re young, and deal with them in small pieces. We want to prioritize them and get them out of the way.

The CMMI helps us decide HOW we will do what we WANT to do.

So let’s say Scrum is the tool we are going to use to deal with risk iteratively and incrementally. We plan to execute a Daily Stand-up, where we’re going to be talking about risk.

This is a resilient way of dealing with risk. Our Techniques (Daily Stand-up) support our Methods (Scrum) which support our Values (being a company that deals iteratively and incrementally with issues and risks).

Notice the traceability. Everything we do traces back to why we’re doing it. In this way, the CMMI helps us define HOW we do what we do. It strengthens agile and makes it more resilient, so that it can scale.

So, Dale, scaling agile is enabled by defining our agile values, methods and techniques, and making them stronger and more resistant to change. The CMMI helps us do that.

That’s the winning formula for scaling agile.

If you would like deeper insight on this topic, feel free to join our free webinar, "Scaling and Strengthening Agile" on July 20th.

Sign up here.

Good luck!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!
Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Did you know that the CMMI Appraiser is on Twitter?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser – we’re new to Twitter.  Who should we follow to make sure we’re getting the latest strategies, observations and insights about CMMI, agile and software performance improvement? ~ Brian D.

Dear Readers,

New people still seem to be joining social media every day, so this is as good a time as any to let everyone know.  Ask the CMMI Appraiser is on Twitter!  And we're very active - tweeting many times a day - so give us a follow.

www.twitter.com/CMMIAppraiser

Our community of over 900 followers is already liking, re-tweeting and otherwise enjoying our frequent tweets packed with CMMI, agile and performance improvement knowledge.  Why not join the movement?  We're different because we help you focus on the fact that process improvement, agile, and CMMI are all about one thing: the transformation of the culture of your company.

Don't miss out! Click to follow "@CMMIAppraiser".

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about engineering strategy, performance innovation, software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.
Posted by Jeff Dalton at 1:39 PM

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

How can we get agile and CMMI info from inside the firewall?


We love your blog, but where can we get more information about agile and CMMI? Not everyone can get access to www.asktheCMMIAppraiser.com from inside our firewall.

~ Ron B.

Hey, Ron, fist bump! I love that kind of question. My friend, we are ALL OVER the social media. And on every media outlet we provide a wealth of FREE information about process improvement, performance innovation, agile and CMMI. 

But the first and best place to go is to our main site, www.broadswordsolutions.com. We put a ton of free content there -- videos, webinars, articles and eBooks -- something for every learning style, and it's all free.

You also may want to join us in the steady stream of Twitter updates. For example, let’s scroll through the updates to see what’s going on in our Agile Scrum Training class right now:




In these pics, you can witness the hands-on exercises as folks learn to be Scrum Masters, Scrum Product Owners, or Team members on an agile team.  Some are preparing to sit for the Professional Scrum Master and Professional Scrum Product Owner certification exams from scrum.org.  

This is just a snapshot of one moment in one day.  Following me on Twitter is a great way to get a look at our agile scrum training classes in action, plus a whole bunch of other interesting stuff, every day, all day.

Follow the CMMI Appraiser on Twitter. Click here!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!
Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Why Attend Capability Counts 2016? Reason #1: To Make Connections!

Ahoy, shipmates! Capability Counts 2016 is now just days away! The big event happens on May 10-11 in Annapolis, Maryland, and I can't wait to share this experience with you.

You know, having been to Annapolis many times, I’ve seen first-hand their wonderful spirit and passion for adventure. So it should surprise no one that Annapolis was selected as this year’s gathering place for engineering and software executives and practitioners who are passionate about the adventure of performance innovation, process improvement and building capability.

As I put together my list of reasons to attend Capability Counts 2016, I considered that having a great adventure was a combination of building capability (Reason #5), playing agile games (Reason #4), crowning a capability champion (Reason #3) and being with great organizations (Reason #2). It all comes together in Reason #1.

Drum roll please …

Reason #1: Capability Counts 2016 is where you can make connections.



It’s true that, in the past, every SEPG conference and CMMI Congress gave you the chance to be with like-minded professionals who are just as passionate as you are about process and performance improvement. Capability Counts 2016 offers even more. At Capability Counts 2016, you will ...

Connect (or re-connect) with Washington, DC-area customers and clients

We all want to stay connected with our Washington, DC-area customers, but the reality is that everyone’s busy - and America is a big place! We’re solving problems and flying at a hundred miles an hour. It can be hard to slow down and find time to spend together. Well, Capability Counts 2016 gives us that time. The two-day conference offers myriad opportunities to share with your customers why you are so passionate about organizational process and performance improvement, and for them to share the same with you.

Connect (or re-connect) with business partners

There’s no better place than Capability Counts 2016 to form strategic relationships with compatible companies from all around the world. Someday, an opportunity will arise in which you will be glad you have an international partner you can work with and trust. By forming these relationships at Capability Counts 2016, you’ll form strong, personal relationships with potential partners.

What I love is that Capability Counts 2016 offers these rich networking opportunities in addition to the robust technical program. That means you can learn while connecting with familiar faces and starting new relationships.

To me, spending time with quality people is one of the best adventures life has to offer. I hope you’ll join us in Annapolis, and show us how important making connections is to YOU.

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER ONLINE! SIGN UP HERE.

See you at Capability Counts 2016!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Why Attend Capability Counts 2016? Reason #2: To Be with Great Organizations!

All hands on deck! We're racing our sloop Improvement into the Harbor of Higher Performance for Capability Counts 2016, the world-renowned capability-building party for the software and engineering industry on May 10-11 in Annapolis.  We need your help to make it a winner!

Haven’t decided to join in on the fun yet?  No problem!  I’ve been counting down my Top 5 Reasons to Attend Capability Counts 2016 to aid your decision-making process. If you missed it ...

Reason #5 is “To Build Capability!

Reason #4 is “To Play Agile Games!

Reason #3 is “To Crown a Capability Champion!

And today we're down to the second reason to be at Capability Counts 2016.  Drum roll please …

Reason #2: Capability Counts 2016 is where you can be with great organizations.


One thing you can count on, at Capability Counts 2016, you’re among friends. We don’t think it’s boastful to share stories of success and capability building. Rather, we want to find out from each other what’s working. So if you are doing something with performance innovation and and process improvement that is really helping put your company on the path to greatness, your peers would love to hear about it.

People will be coming to Capability Counts 2016 from a variety of backgrounds. Some are Certified Lead Appraisers seeking to get better at guiding their customers. Some are CMMI program sponsors who are looking for innovative and creative solutions for delivering on-time, high-quality software to their customers back home. Others are just learning how to spell “CMMI” and "agile" for the first time.

What we all share is a common interest in process, performance, and organizational improvement.

And here’s a shocker. Some of the conference attendees are actively looking for a potential solutions provider. If you are a CMMI Institute Partner, it would probably be a good idea to be at least a little bit visible, would you agree?

One way to increase your visibility is to take advantage of the sponsorship or exhibiting opportunities Capability Counts 2016 offers. Another option is simply to drop anchor and talk with folks about what you do. That’s what we’re there for!

I attended my first SEPG conference many years ago. You know what I’ve been saying ever since? Come to the conference for the technical sessions, but stay for the networking. You never know when you’re talking with your next big client – or your next Partner.

Capability Counts 2016 is a great place to be in the company of great companies.  Register here.

See you at the show!

Need more reasons to go? Stay tuned for Reason #1!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Why Attend Capability Counts 2016? Reason #3: To Crown a Capability Champion!

Captain’s report: The good sloop Improvement has set a proper course for Capability Counts 2016 (formerly known as SEPG North America). We will arrive in Annapolis, Maryland, hale and hearty and ready to party on May 10-11!

For those who haven’t yet decided to join us, I’ve been counting down my Top 5 Reasons to Attend Capability Counts 2016. If you missed it, Reason #5 was “To Build Capability!”  Reason #4 was “To Play Agile Games.”  And here we go with Reason #3.

Drum roll please …

Reason #3 to Attend Capability Counts 2016: To Crown a Capability Champion!

Another new feature of Capability Counts 2016 is The Capability Challenge.

The Capability Challenge is awesome!

A business competition that began in November in a special webinar broadcast, The Capability Challenge, hosted by the CMMI Institute, matches the best against the best in a battle of strengths. The contestants, also known as the “Capability Challengers”, have been competing for the best business success story through a series of webinars. The sparks have been flying!

In each round, four companies presented their success stories in 15-minute segments on an hour-long webinar. These software and engineering innovators discussed ways they sustained process capability in a diminishing environment, improved the effectiveness of global service management delivery processes, increased productivity and reduced costs, and more. At the end of each webinar, attendees voted on the best capability improvement story.

The final showdown happens at Capability Counts 2016 with a Special Panel, the Capability Challenge Finals, where the four remaining Challengers will present their stories in front of the entire community – and YOU will vote for the Capability Champion.

Don’t miss this incredible event! Come to Capability Counts 2016, watch the competition, hear the stories of building capability, and help us discover our 2016 Capability Challenge Champion. The winner will be announced at the closing of the conference.

See you there!

Need more reasons to go? Stay tuned for Reason #2!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Why Attend Capability Counts 2016? Reason #4: To Play Agile Games!

Ahoy there! The sloop Improvement is all set to sail for the annual conference I like to call the “Greatest Show on Earth!” Yes, Capability Counts 2016 happens on May 10-11 in one of the oldest ports in the New World, Annapolis, Maryland (est. 1649), and we'd love for you to be there!

To help everybody get their sea legs for the event, we decided to count down the Top 5 Reasons to Attend Capability Counts 2016. If you missed it, reason #5 was “To Build Capability!”  Today we’re tacking our course for process improvement and performance innovation with Reason #4.

Drum roll please! Reason #4 is …

Play Agile Games!


Reason #4: Capability Counts 2016 is a place where you can acquire and develop skills while playing agile games

So much is new for Capability Counts 2016. But of all the new events, one of the busiest and most hands-on is sure to be Gamer’s Alley!

Gamer’s Alley

Gamer’s Alley is a fun, competitive environment, where engineering executives and professionals can learn new agile skills in the ultimate learning experience. If you love a test of wits and get fired up over the idea of having a coach helping you win, this is the session for you. You’ll learn more about collaboration, iterative delivery, and continuous improvement in a hands-on environment that leverages CMMI and Agile methods. Your coaches and facilitators are experienced Game Masters who are also CMMI and Agile coaches and instructors. Make sure you stop by and check out concurrent events including the XP Game, the Collaboration Game, and more! There will be prizes and plenty of fun.

Who should come to the Gamer’s Alley Track? Whether you’re just starting your capability journey, learning how to use CMMI in an Agile environment, or a seasoned veteran, you’ll take away valuable lessons that you can use right away.

Here are the bios of the Expert Agile Coaches who will be working with you in Gamer’s Alley:

Jeff Dalton, Broadsword

Pedro Castro Henriques, Strongstep

César Duarte, Scraim & Strongstep

Register here for Capability Counts 2016.

Need more reasons to go? Stay tuned for Reason #3!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!
Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information.

Capability Counts 2016 Podcast #3: Alex Stall!


On Monday I was lucky enough to snag Alex Stall for our third Podcast for Capability Counts 2016! Alex is the CMMI Institute's CMMI practice leader, and he'll be appearing at the conference May 10-11 in Annapolis, MD.  Register today!








If you want a special "Ask the CMMI Appraiser" discount code, send me an email at appraiser@broadswordsolutions.com.

To register for the conference, go to www.cmmiinstitute.com/conferences today!

Capability Counts DISCOUNT CODES are here!

Thinking of coming to Capability Counts 2016 in Annapolis May 10-11?

This conference, formerly known as "SEPG," will be a collection of several hundred process improvement and CMMI experts from around the world - and you definitely want to be there!

Your CFO will be happy to hear that The Appraiser can give you $200 smackers off the registration fee!

Message me at appraiser@broadswordsolutions.com for your code.

Register for the conference at www.cmmiinstitute.com/conferences

Capability Counts 2016 Podcast #2: Becky Fitzerald!

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing the talented and accomplished (and nice!) Becky Fitzgerald, who will be a featured speaker at this year's Capability Counts conference.  Listen below:




If you want a special "Ask the CMMI Appraiser" discount code, send me an email at appraiser@broadswordsolutions.com.

To register for the conference, go to www.cmmiinstitute.com/conferences today!


Capability Counts 2016 Podcast #1: Tom Cagely

Last week I had the honor of interviewing Tom Cagely, Podcaster, consultant, and VP of DCG, on his upcoming speech at Capability Counts 2016 in Annapolis.  Tom will be speaking on May 10 - don't miss it!




Register for Capability Counts 2016 at www.cmmiinstitute.com/conferences today!

Email me for your own private "Ask the CMMI Appraiser" discount code!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Capability Counts 2016 is coming to Annapolis May 10-11!

Capability Counts 2016 is coming!

Join us May 10-11 in Annapolis, MD to hear over 50 speakers, play games, take classes, and network with other practitioners that are passionate about increasing professional capability!

I'll be speaking on Tuesday, and leading the "Gamer's Alley" track!  Don't miss it!



Thursday, April 7, 2016

Why Attend Capability Counts 2016? Reason #5: To Build Capability!

All hands on deck! It's time to get ready for Capability Counts 2016 in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 10-11!

I’ve got to admit, what's the first thought that flashes through my mind when I think about being in Annapolis next month? Seafood!  Ah, delicious, Maryland Crab Soup! Crab cake sandwiches! Oysters on the half-shell with horseradish and a dash of Old Bay Seasoning. If you love shellfish and authentic, local cuisine, you surely are in for a treat this year. For seafood, Annapolis is heaven on earth.

But just as there is more than one way to crack open a steamed Blue Crab, there are many great reasons to attend Capability Counts 2016. For the days leading up to the conference, I’ll be counting down the Top 5 Reasons to be there. So let’s get started with Reason #5.


Reason #5: Capability Counts 2016 is a place where you can consume vast quantities of knowledge toward building capability (and not gain any weight!)

Yes, based on my past experience with this event I called “The Greatest Show on Earth) (f/k/a SEPG conference, f/k/a CMMI Congress), attendees of Capability Counts 2016 can expect to consume a lot of knowledge about building capability:
  • Expert Insights: You’ll have opportunities to attend presentation after presentation by industry experts from all over the world, and to connect with organizations and individuals looking to build capability and elevate performance. 
  • Special Track: There’s even a special track that helps you learn more about how to start your capability journey and will put you in contact with peers who face business challenges similar to yours.
  • Best Practices: Best of all, you’ll get to acquire best practices and hear success stories from professionals who have decades of experience helping organizations build their capabilities.
It’s a pretty impressive spread. Learning experiences range from formal presentations to tutorials to workshops to informal conversations and social interactions. We’ll share strategies and tactics, tips and techniques, best practices to adopt, and pitfalls to avoid.  New this year will be a "Gamers' Alley" track and a panel of Capability Challengers (more on these in a future post).  And we’ll have the truly unforgettable experience of building our capability, together.

Yes, Capability Counts 2016 offers a veritable CMMI feast. But what did you expect?  When so many great people bring to the table their passion for process improvement, performance innovation and CMMI, it’s an all-you-can-consume buffet.

Sign up for Capability Counts 2016.

Need more reasons to go? Stay tuned for Reason #4!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Can I take a CMMI Training class in San Diego, and get PDUs?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser ... Help! My boss says I need to take a CMMI Training class in San Diego. Can I do that? Also, as a PMP, I’m interested in knowing whether there will be any PDUs for your classes ~ Paul F.

Hey, Paul … yes, and yes!  (Don't you love it when the answer is Yes?  If only everything in life was so affirmative!)

Designed for executives, engineers and business professionals, our CMMI Training classes help participants learn use the CMMI as a set of guidelines to improve organizational performance, as well as how to design a flexible architecture for continuous process improvement. YES, we have a class in San Diego in June, and YES, you can receive 21 PDUs towards your PMP certification upon completion. So join us!



Register here: Introduction to CMMI-DEV Training
June 1 @ 8:00 am - June 3 @ 5:00 pm
San Diego, CA

As you may know from your boss, Paul, Introduction to CMMI Training classes are required for those who wish to participate in a SCAMPI Appraisal, want to enroll in Intermediate Concepts of CMMI, and/or undergo SCAMPI Lead Appraiser training or CMMI Instructor training. they are recommended for anyone with an interest in improving software and engineering performance. This 3-day class is hands-on, interactive, and a whole lot of fun, so sign up and tell a friend!

We hope to see you in San Diego!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information.

Monday, March 28, 2016

CMMI Certification - what is it and how do I get it?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser, my boss asked me to look into a CMMI Certification. What is it and how do I get it? ~ Neil S.

Hey, Neil, what a great question!

The Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is more popular than ever. Given the increasing rate at which the Model is being adopted, sometimes we find ourselves so deep in conversations about organizational performance innovation and software process improvement that we forget that there are new people coming onboard every day. They hear their bosses tell them to find out about something called “CMMI certification” and go to Google for clues. So, welcome, Neil. The party’s just getting started!


That’s right, I said party! As a certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser who has worked in the industry for many years, I’ve come to think of the CMMI as one big party, and everyone is invited!

Now, to answer your question, to begin with, the CMMI Institute discourages the phrase "CMMI certification" and instead likes us to refer to a company as having "achieved CMMI Level 2" (or Level 3, Level 4, Level 5). Note that organizations achieve CMMI, people do not. 

Many people use to the phrase "CMMI certification," so you often see it in the metatags of sites (like this one, Broadsword's, and the CMMI Institute's). But the truth is, you "achieve" a level of CMMI by building, deploying, and managing a process within your engineering and project management organizations that reflects the best-practices identified in the process areas of the CMMI model. Once institutionalization is apparent, you bring in a CMMI Institute-authorized SCAMPI Lead Appraiser to lead you through a SCAMPI Appraisal.

Depending on the appraisal type you select, it will result in either a gap analysis or a set of formal findings that identify your company as having achieved (or not achieved) CMMI Level 2, CMMI Level 3, Level 4 or Level 5.

So, while the phrase “CMMI certification” is common on Web sites and conversations throughout the industry, a better question is as follows: “How do we achieve a CMMI level rating?”

Let me repeat for clarity. You achieve a CMMI Rating ("a level") by building, deploying, and managing a process architecture within your engineering and project management organizations and you use the best practices identified in the process areas of the CMMI model to make it better. That's it! Once institutionalization is apparent, you can then engage with a CMMI Institute-certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser to lead you through a SCAMPI Appraisal. For many organizations, it makes sense to work with a CMMI consultant to help you decide when it is best to appraise your organization. There are many certified lead appraiser who can help you as a consultant as well.

But keep in mind: The CMMI is not about getting a CMMI certificate or achieving a CMMI Maturity Level. As I said above, the CMMI is more like a party, an ongoing celebration, a model to help guide you in your quest for becoming a great company … and you’re invited!

For more information, please feel free to visit the Broadsword web site, or check out our webinar, "All about CMMI!"

Webinar: "All about CMMI!"
Date/Time: April 18, 2016 @ noon EDT
Registration: Sign up here.

See you on the webinar!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

How do we scale our agile approach to dealing with risk?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser – we’re a CMMI Level 3 organization that is trying to scale our value of having an agile way of dealing with risk. Where can we get information that will help support this goal? ~ Dan I.

Hey, Dan,

How cool that you’re taking an agile approach to risk management! Lately I'm seeing more and more CMMI adopters that are learning to take advantage of agile methods for a lighter, leaner approach to solving business problems incrementally and iteratively. For more information about scaling your value of having an agile way of dealing with risk across the enterprise, I recommend signing up for our webinar, “Managing Project Risk.”

One of the key take-aways from the webinar is the strategy of using what we call “CMMI questions” to scale your approach to addressing risk. CMMI questions come directly from the Model, which guides us to ask questions that will help us learn more about how we work.

For example, specific to this value, risk management, the CMMI guides us to gain more knowledge about the way we deal with risk. So the first CMMI question we need to ask, as we roll this out, is the following:

“What are the methods and techniques that we’re going to use to support the value of having an agile way of dealing with risk?”

It starts with our values. We want to approach risk management iteratively and incrementally. We want to get those issues of risk when they’re young, and deal with them in small pieces. We want to prioritize them and get them out of the way. Asking CMMI questions is a great way to do this.

I invite you to learn more strategies, tips and techniques for scaling your value of having an agile way of dealing with risk, by signing up for our webinar:

Webinar: “Everything You Need to Know: Managing Project Risk!”
Date/Time: Friday, March 25, 2016 @ noon EDT
Registration: Sign up here.

See you on the webinar!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information.

Monday, March 21, 2016

Back by Popular Demand! Our “Process Quality Assurance” webinar

Hey, CMMI Appraiser,

One of the QA people in another division saw a webinar you hosted a few months ago that offered strategies, tips and techniques for improving the company’s quality program using CMMI. I hear it was very useful. Will this webinar air again, and if so, how can we get our people signed up? ~ Alan M.


Alan,

Great to hear someone from your company got value from the webinar! We invest a tremendous amount of time sharing our passion for performance innovation in the form of conference speeches, live seminars, blog posts, podcasts, videos, ebooks, articles, white papers and webinars, so it's always gratifying to get positive feedback. And your question comes at a good time – we’re providing the “Process Quality Assurance” webinar again this week!


Webinar: Everything You Need to Know about Process Quality Assurance!
Date/Time: March 23 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Registration: Click here

What’s the webinar about?


On this webinar, CMMI L2 and L3 companies learn an engineering strategy that helps them emphasize quality over compliance, establish a structure for collecting improvement data, align the processes with the people who are using them. The upshot? You’ll know what it takes to drive higher quality and get greater results from your quality program.

Who is the webinar for?

The “Process Quality Assurance” webinar is designed to help CMMI L2 and L3 businesses that are …
  • Living in fear of the auditing process
  • Improperly focused on tracking incidences of non-compliance
  • Failing to get any better
What’s in it for YOU?

The “Process Quality Assurance” webinar helps businesses that want to …
  • Transform your quality program into something that actually helps the company improve
  • Gain visibility on how work in your company gets done
  • Understand what tools and standards your people really want to be successful
  • Create an environment in which quality resources are valuable partners on projects
  • Reduce the number of risks on your projects and forget the number of non-compliances game 
  • Build better products than your competitors who have a lot of chaos, late and over budget projects, too many meetings and unhappy customers
... and much more!

Take the first step to having a quality assurance program that works for you, not against you. Sign up for “Process Quality Assurance” today!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information.


Friday, March 11, 2016

Is CMMI just one giant headache?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser, you know what I don’t get? Why people like you are convincing people like my boss that we should look at adopting CMMI, even though, our customers are not requiring that we adopt it. Who needs this headache? Seriously! ~ Tom B.

Tom, you know what I don’t get?

Even in this age of instant, worldwide communications and knowledge-sharing, I don't get why some really smart engineering and software professionals operate as though they have not heard the news that CMMI is 100% about solving business problems.

News flash, Tom!  CMMI doesn’t cause headaches. It cures them!

Look, let's not raise our voices.  I'm not trying to convince you or your boss to do anything. You seem to be laboring under the misconception that the CMMI is this heavy, command and control, document-centric cauldron of hard, dreary work and pure nonsense that tells you how to do your job.

C'mon, man! CMMI has none of that! CMMI does not tell you HOW to do anything. CMMI doesn't “require” anything. CMMI is simply a tool designed to help you solve business problems, including:

  • Change and improve requirements churn and volatility, so that you can spend less time and money on requirements
  • Be on-time and on-budget
  • Motivate your staff and make them better at what they do
  • Understand and deal with risk before it hurts you
  • Avoid having too many meetings, unhappy customers and unpredictable projects

And CMMI can do this whether you choose to be agile, Waterfall, or use any other set of methods.

That's probably why your boss is interested in CMMI, Tom.  Why not get ahead of the curve? Educate yourself on process improvement, performance innovation and CMMI by signing up for our FREE webinar, "All about CMMI” on Monday, March 14.

Click here to sign up.

Hope to see you on the Webinar!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!


Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

A single program for CMMI, ISO and A-SPICE -- how does that work?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser. Our team has been reading your CMMI ebooks, and we have a question.  As a CMMI Level 3 supplier to the auto industry, we want to know more about aligning CMMI, ISO/TS and Auto SPICE into a single program for performance innovation. How does that work? ~ John M.

Hey, John,

Thanks for reading my CMMI eBooks!  I really love sharing my passion for performance innovation in conference speeches, live seminars, webinars, blog posts, podcasts, videos, ebooks, articles, white papers and more.  It's so cool that you're finding the ebooks useful!

You know, like you, a lot of companies that are CMMI ML2 or ML3 have been asking about integrating CMMI, ISO 9001 and A-SPICE into a single program for performance innovation.  So many that we created a webinar expressly for this purpose.  On "Integrating CMMI, ISO 9001 and A-SPICE," you'll learn to combine these frameworks and methods innovatively for greater results.


Webinar: Integrating CMMI, ISO 9001 and A-SPICE
Time: Friday, March 11 @ 12-1PM EST
Register: Click here

Why participate in the webinar?  You’ll learn to address practical, real world business problems, such as …

  • How to streamline and strengthen the way you so business
  • How to gain visibility into every aspect of the business
  • How to eliminate duplication and overlap in reporting
  • How to attract and retain top employees
  • How to prevent the loss of business and intellectual capital to competitors


Take the first step to aligning ISO/TS, CMMI and Auto SPICE and having better quality products and greater customer satisfaction. Sign up for “Multi-Model Improvement” today!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information.