The #1 Reason I'm Going (Back) to Capability Counts This Year: To Build Stronger Relationships with Key CMMI Institute Leaders

Hey, CMMI Appraiser - will we get a chance to meet some of the CMMI Institute leaders at Capability Counts this year? ~ CMMI program sponsor in Maryland

Dear Readers, 

Get those bags packed!  It’s almost time to head out to the Washington, DC area for Capability Counts for indepth learning about using the CMMI to improve organizational performance! But before we go, I have one final thought to help you make the best use of your time at Capability Counts 2017.

Today our countdown of the Top 5 Reasons to Attend has worked all the way down to #1. 

Drum roll, please! The #1 Reason to Attend Capability Counts 2017 this year is …

To build stronger relationships with CMMI Institute leaders.

Whether you’re new to the CMMI Conference, or are a regular attendee of our industry’s premier event on process improvement and the CMMI, introducing yourself to your hosts is not only the polite thing to do, it is one of the best reasons for going to the Capability Counts. Especially this year, when key CMMI Institute leaders will be in attendance.

Space on this blog is limited, so I’d like to call attention to five of the many important and influential people that you’ll want to be sure to meet at the Conference. They are:

1. Kirk Botula, CEO of CMMI Institute. Kirk is a team-builder, visionary and just an all-around terrific guy. Meeting with Kirk will give you peace of mind that the CMMI is alive and well and has a strong future. You’ll get insight into his vision for how the CMMI will grow, evolve, sustain and be successful over time.

2. Dan Torens, COO. Dan’s in charge of managing product releases and executing strategy, and can help end-users get a feel for how the CMMI Institute operates, how its future products will be released and what some of the major internal projects might be.

3. Rawdon (“Rusty”) Young. Rusty is a key player and an invaluable resource. He is involved in the hands-on creation of new products and next-generation releases of the CMMI. Talk to Rusty about your questions on CMMI, DMM, and SCAMPI.

4. Katie Tarara, Manager of Partner and Client Services. As every CMMI Partner learns, there is no better person to connect with at the CMMI Institute than Katie. Katie is all about listening. She loves to reach out to Partners and end-users for their suggestions and ideas on making the CMMI Institute even better.

5. Chavonne Hoyle, Director of Marketing. Chavonne is the Institute’s chief buzz-builder and also has responsibility for the conference. You’ll find Chavonne a joy to know!

As key representatives of the CMMI Institute at Capability Counts, Kirk, Dan, Rusty, Katie and Chavonne are a big part of the face of a product lines that we use every day. If you are a CMMI user – or are considering adopting the Model – you’ll want to get to know them and tap into their vast expertise. If you are a CMMI Institute Partner, it’s important to meet with these leaders, so you can join us in working more closely with them on reinforcing the brand. Capability Counts is the perfect place to do that.

While I don’t have space to write about ALL of the great people at the CMMI Institute, I’d also encourage you to connect with everyone on the CMMI Institute team.

Other great folks you don’t want to miss at Capability Counts this year are the leaders of the many general sessions and workshops of the Conference. These CMMI users are on the front lines of process improvement and performance acceleration, so you get practical, relevant and valuable learning experiences straight from the ones who know!

From Broadsword, you’ll have an opportunity to meet our speakers:

Jeff Dalton: Featured Presentation – Stability, Agility, and The Capable Organization; AND Holacracy – Abolish Hierarchy while Leveraging CMMI to Radically Change Your Organization

Ross Timmerman: Gamers’ Alley

Julie Calfin: The Great Service Multiplier - How Our Consulting Firm Doubled Revenues and Reduced Costs by Implementing CMMI-SVC

Laura Adkins: The Buy-In Effect – How Getting Alignment Can Get Your CMMI Adoption UnStuck

Tim Zeller: Agile Performance Management

Cathy Henderson: 20 Days to SCAMPI A – How to get to the Finish Line and Keep Your Sanity

And that’s it, my friends! Those are my Top 5 Reasons to Attend Capability Counts – and there are many more reasons that you are sure to discover on your own. I’m looking forward to hearing about YOUR experience.

Register here.

See you in our nation’s capital!

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

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI nstructor, 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.

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 #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!

Jeff's Top Picks for the CMMI Congress!

It's almost here!

Next week, engineering and CMMI professionals will be gathering in Seattle, WA for the CMMI Global Congress, an annual geekfest for process improvement nerds.

There will be dozens of great speakers, and every one of them is a leader.  Each year I like to give you my "top picks" to help guide you towards the presentations I will be going to.

Heeeeeeere we go!

Kirk Botula, CEO of the CMMI Institute, will kick off the week with his opening keynote.  Kirk is a brilliant speaker, and is overflowing with ideas for how we can work together to improve the capability and maturity of software and engineering organizations.  It'll be a great, inspiring way to start off the conference!

Running a Services Business, Getting Organized and Using CMMI-SVC in 3 Pages! Neil Potter and Richard Lea are leaders in the CMMI-SVC (and CMMI-DEV) space, and always put on a good show!

Boost your Team’s Morale and Revenues with CMMI! (John Degni).  This one sounds super-interesting and I will be sure to attend.  I'm always looking for ways to re-purpose the CMMI, and this sounds like a great idea!

Agile Risk Management (Tom Cagley).  Tom is a great speaker, and host of "SPAMCaST," a popular podcast about process improvement.  He's a leader when it comes to approaching engineering with an Agile mindset.  He has a wealth of knowledge and knows how to share it!

Exploring the Importance of Capability and Eight Capability Areas (Alexander Stall & Chavonne Hoyle).  Come to Alex's and Chavonne's session to hear about CMMI straight from the source!

Agile Transformation: Gaining or Maintaining CMMI (Tim Zeller).  More and more CMMI ML3 companies are transforming to Agile, while hoping to maintain their CMMI rating.  Tim is a CMMI Consultant, attorney, ISO Lead Auditor, and Scrum Master that brings a wealth of ideas to any audience.  A must see!

How is the CMMI “Integrated?” Let me Count the Ways… (Pat O’Toole).  My "Just the FAQs" writing partner is amongst the best in our business, and always gives a thoughtful and entertaining presentation.  I wouldn't miss this - and I won't!

"Twelve Questions Wildly Successful Companies Ask Themselves Everyday" (Jeff Dalton).  Oh wait, that's ME!  Since I will definitely be there, I'm going to make this one of my "top picks."  I'll be presenting the keynote on day two right after breakfast.  Join me for coffee and discussion about being a great company.

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.

Companies larger than 25 people are invited to visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about engineering strategy,performance innovation , software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.

“Go agile?” Huh?

Mr. CMMI Appraiser – as a mid-sized engineering firm in Northern Virginia with a small Agile team, we are primarily using CMMI for our projects.  Our largest government customer recently told us they want to “go Agile,” and that they need us to staff up to serve them. When a federal agency says they want to “go Agile” how do we respond? We’re just trying to build great products, same as always. ~ Dean C.

Hey, Dean, we are hearing this note of concern quite a bit lately. It seems that many companies are being told the same thing from government and large corporate clients ranging from the Department of Defense to Medicare and Medicaid to Ford and Chrysler. Like you, many of them are saying, “What does that mean? Do they want to fail fast? Do they want daily standups? Do they want to start working in sprints?”

What I’ve found is that clients themselves often don’t often know what they mean, or how to articulate it. That’s why their requests can be quite puzzling.

One thing we can be sure of: Customers want to be reassured that we have a plan for scaling Agile in a way that can help them get improved results. I’ve done a lot of work over the years with companies that have embraced the CMMI and Scrum in an effort to get better and meet customer demands, and I believe I can point you in the right direction.

In my opinion, the clearest way to think about Scrum and CMMI is in terms of process improvement, not running teams or projects. That keeps us focused. After all, there is only one project that we really care about, and that’s the one called, “Making our company great.”

So it’s a good thing you are already using CMMI and Agile approaches. You can scale Agile by strengthening it through the application of the lessons of the CMMI. And conversely, scaling Agile will help you improve your approach to CMMI. The CMMI framework and the Agile philosophy work beautifully together to make each other better.

This is an idea I’m really passionate about. I believe all organizations can benefit from rethinking the CMMI and Scrum and how they work. It boils down to three simple concepts:

1) The CMMI is a behavioral model, not a process. It was intended to help make things better, a guide to continuous improvement. It describes how great companies perform.

2) As such, the CMMI doesn’t tell you HOW to get better. In fact, the CMMI doesn’t tell you how to do anything. It says, “Here’s what great companies have told us that they do.” Your job is to apply these lessons to what you are doing in your context. Tricky? Yes, but well worth it.

3) The truth about CMMI and Scrum is that they are both designed to help you pursue the same business goals. Both are tools to help solve business problems. They help us improve requirements churn and volatility, for example. They help us meet schedule and budget, and they help us perform the work that we do every day. That’s why we say CMMI and Agile are not overhead - they're "underhead."

So, yes, you can scale Agile and “staff up” to meet your customers’ needs to “go Agile.” That’s really all they want to hear at this point. Tell them, “Sure, we can do that, but here are all the ways we are going to work, and here are all the ways the software will deliver. We have standards, and ways to improve on that method.”

For more information about the details behind those answers, I invite you to register for the Agile Development Conference West. The conference will be on June 1-6 in at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas. I will be speaking on "Agile Resiliency: How CMMI Will Make Agile Thrive and Survive." 

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 engineering strategy,performance innovation, software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.

The #1 Reason I'm Going (Back) to the CMMI Conference This Year: To Build Stronger Relationships with Key CMMI Institute Leaders

Dear Readers,

Pack your bags! It’s almost time to head out to the Washington, DC area for SEPG North America 2014 for two solid days (May 6-7) of learning about using the CMMI to elevate organizational performance! But before we go, I have one final thought to help you make the best use of your time at the CMMI Conference. Our countdown of the Top 5 Reasons to Attend is all the way down to #1.

Here's the countdown so far:

Reason #5: To learn about elevating organizational performance.

Reason #4: SEPGNA is a great place to talk about things that matter to your business. 

Reason #3: To gain control of process

Reason #2: To spend quality time with customers

Today we wrap things up with Reason #1!

Drum roll, please! The #1 Reason to Attend the CMMI Conference this year is …

To build stronger relationships with CMMI Institute leaders.

Whether you’re new to the CMMI Conference, or are a regular attendee of our industry’s premier event on process improvement and the CMMI, introducing yourself to your hosts is not only the polite thing to do, it is one of the best reasons for going to the SEPGNA. Especially this year, when key CMMI Institute leaders will be in attendance.

Space on this blog is limited, so I’d like to call attention to five of the many important and influential people that you’ll want to be sure to meet at the Conference. They are:

1. Kirk Botula, CEO of CMMI Institute. Kirk is a team-builder, visionary and just an all-around terrific guy. Meeting with Kirk will give you peace of mind that the CMMI is alive and well and has a strong future. You’ll get insight into his vision for how the CMMI will grow, evolve, sustain and be successful over time.
2. Dan Torens, COO. Dan’s in charge of managing product releases and executing strategy, and can help end-users get a feel for how the CMMI Institute operates, how its future products will be released and what some of the major internal projects might be.
3. Rawdon (“Rusty”) Young. Rusty is a key player and an invaluable resource. He is involved in the hands-on creation of new products and next-generation releases of the CMMI. Talk to Rusty about your questions on CMMI, DMM, and SCAMPI.
4. Lisa Masciantonio, Director of Strategic Relationships. As every CMMI Partner learns, there is no better person to connect with at the CMMI Institute than Lisa. Lisa is all about listening. She loves to reach out to Partners and end-users for their suggestions and ideas on making the CMMI Institute even better.
5. Eileen Forrester, Certification and Training Director. A lead author of CMMI for Service and the learner-centered approach, Eileen has a broad range of skills, research interests and areas of expertise. You’ll find Eileen a joy to know!

As key representatives of the CMMI Institute at SEPGNA, Kirk, Dan, Rusty, Lisa and Eileen are a big part of the face of a product lines that we use every day. If you are a CMMI user – or are considering adopting the Model – you’ll want to get to know them and tap into their vast expertise. If you are a CMMI Institute Partner, it’s important to meet with these leaders, so you can join us in working more closely with them on reinforcing the brand. The CMMI Conference is the perfect place to do that.

While I don’t have space to write about ALL of the great people at the CMMI Institute, I’d also encourage you to connect with Alex Stall, Darlene Moore, Chavonne Hoyle (Marketing Director), Katie Tarara, Geoff Terrell, Deen Blash, and everyone else on the team.

Other great folks you don’t want to miss at SEPGNA this year are the leaders of the many general sessions and workshops of the Conference. These CMMI users are on the front lines of process improvement and performance acceleration, so you get practical, relevant and valuable learning experiences straight from the ones who know!

And that’s it, my friends! Those are my Top 5 Reasons to Attend SEPGNA – and there are many more reasons that you are sure to discover on your own. I’m looking forward to hearing about YOUR experience.

See you in our nation’s capital!

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.

The #2 Reason I'm Going (Back) to the CMMI Conference This Year! To spend quality time with customers

Dear Readers,

The greatest conference on the planet is almost here! The CMMI Conference (a/k/a SEPGNA 2014) is coming to Tyson's Corner, VA on May 6-7 and, if you’re just joining us, we’re counting down my Top 5 Reasons for being there.

Here's the countdown so far:

Reason #5: To learn about elevating organizational performance.

Reason #4: SEPGNA is a great place to talk about things that matter to your business.  

Reason #3: To gain control of process

Today we’ve arrived at Reason #2!

Drum roll, please! Reason #2 is …

To spend quality time with customers.

We all know that one secret to success in business is building strong relationships with the customer. This is especially true in the context of CMMI, where we are focused on helping companies improve performance, drive Process Innovation, and be the great companies they are striving to be.

If you are a CMMI practitioner or a supplier of CMMI services, the CMMI Conference is more than an opportunity to acquire knowledge that can help you be a better resource for your customers. It’s a rare chance for you to spend quality time with customers off-site in a dedicated learning environment. So consider the following question as a personal challenge:

Will you take the opportunity to build stronger relationships with your customers by bringing them to the CMMI Conference?

As part of my commitment to the CMMI, I always invite my customers to the Conference. Here’s why I am encouraging my fellow CMMI Institute Partners, consultants and suppliers to do so as well:

Where else do you get to spend quality time with your customers? So often in our day-to-day work, we are on-site to solve problems. There are subgroups to be evaluated and artifacts to be collected. But during the 2-day Conference near Washington, DC, you’ll be able to connect with your customers on a personal level. You’ll dine together, attend sessions together and – with networking events scheduled in the evenings – you’ll be able to hang out and just talk.

Where else do you have the opportunity to guide your customers through the learning process? Think about it. Would you rather have your customers try to grasp the real meaning of CMMI on their own, or with you by their side? Would you rather leave them in the dark about the long-term value the Model provides, or help them see the light? Clearly, you want to be there in the sessions with them. You want to ask them about what they are learning. And when questions inevitably come up, you want to be right there to answer with real-live examples from their current projects.

Where else can you introduce your customers to the leaders of the CMMI Institute, as well as other adopters of the CMMI? For me, this is one of the most rewarding experiences at the CMMI Conference. I love to see new friendships form when I connect my customers to others who have overcome the same problems they’ve been facing. Plus, this will be my first opportunity to introduce several of my customers to the smart folks from the CMMI Institute, the sponsors of the CMMI Conference.

In my opinion, missing the chance to invite customers to SEPGNA would be a mistake. You’d only get half the value. Sure, you’ll learn plenty of strategies, tips and techniques that can make you a better CMMI consultant or CMMI supplier. But you will have bypassed the opportunity to integrate customers with each other, so that they can have a support system of their own. And that would be to deprive them of something extremely valuable that they can’t get anywhere else.

As I said in a previous post, the CMMI Conference is a chance to talk about things that matter! You and your customers are going to have a blast together. What could be better for your relationship?

So let’s be generous and share the knowledge. I urge each of you to invite at least one customer, whether they be internal or external, to come to our nation’s capital and take part in the conversation. And don’t forget to register here.

The countdown continues! Check back soon for Reason #1.

Register for the CMMI Conference.

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.

The #3 Reason I'm Going (Back) to the CMMI Conference This Year! To gain control of process

Dear Readers,

It’s hard to believe, but this year’s CMMI Conference is mere weeks away! For those who haven’t decided to register yet, I hope to give you something to think about with the countdown of my Top 5 Reasons for being in the Washington, DC area on May 6 and 7 for SEPG North America.

If you are just joining us Reason #5 was: To learn about elevating organizational performance.

Reason #4 was: SEPGNA is a great place to talk about things that matter to your business. 

Today we’re down to the final three reasons.

Drum roll, please! Reason #3 is …

To gain control of your process

Given this year’s high powered line-up of speakers, workshops and events, SEPGNA 2014 promises to be another excellent opportunity to come together and talk about continuous improvement and making our teams more productive using the CMMI. I’m looking forward to hearing about real-life issues that organizations are facing every day in their quest to be a great company.

Like what?

By all indications, the biggest problem many companies are STILL facing is a lack of control over process. They are dealing with late projects, over-budget projects, unpredictable results and unhappy customers. In many cases, they have made small improvements, but nothing has given them greater control for the long-term.

Does that sound familiar?

If so, I can promise you, you’ll have your eyes opened up at SEPGNA. This year, the sharpest minds in the industry will be discussing how to maximize the impact and business results of CMMI and performance improvement. You’ll get new ideas for applying best practices for adopting the CMMI as a tool that can help you set up an environment that makes improvement possible. And you’ll have the opportunity to discuss strategies with other leaders who learned to leverage the CMMI to establish a useful level of control over their process.

Great companies know that the key to process improvement and performance innovation is to “know how you know” the process works. Adoption of the CMMI can give you the data you need to do that. It can show tell how the process is performing, whether you are getting the results you expected, and how you can make it better.

Why is this true? Because the CMMI is a framework for learning. It helps you learn about yourself, your company and the way you do your work. And there are practices within the CMMI that can help you apply what you’ve learned to make that even better.

The value of a great conference like SEPGNA is that it helps you learn about keeping these things on the top of your mind, so that you always know how things are going, and how they can be made better.

So join us! Come on out for the great learning experience, powerful conversations and new insights on how to gain control of your process!

The countdown continues! Check back soon for Reason #2.

Register for the CMMI Conference.

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.

The #4 Reason I'm Going (Back) to the CMMI Conference This Year! To talk about things that matter.

Dear Readers,

Have you heard the buzz? Everybody’s talking about the CMMI Conference (a/k/a SEPGNA 2014, a/k/a “The Greatest Show on Earth”). This year’s conference is coming to the Washington, DC area on May 6 and 7 – and it’s going to be better than ever!

As a veteran attendee, sometimes speaker at SEPGNA conferences, and longtime practitioner of the CMMI, I love talking with people about using the Model for process improvement and performance innovation. I’ve found no better place to do that than at the SEPGNA Conference every year. That’s why I put together this list of Top 5 Reasons to attend SEPGNA 2014 – to share all the ways you, too, may come to think of North America’s premier CMMI experience as YOUR number one conference of the year!

For those who are just joining us, Reason #5 was: To learn about elevating organizational performance. Now let’s continue the countdown, and Reason #4.

Drum roll, please! Reason #4 is …

To talk about things that matter

Yes, SEPGNA is THE place to talk about things that matter to your business. Things like reducing defects, improving quality, increasing the speed of delivery, and creating predictable, repeatable results. If it has to do with changing behaviors and doing what you need to do to be a great company, it’s open for discussion.

Do you enjoy a good, spirited conversation about process improvement and performance innovation? Of course you do! And you’ll get a lot of that at the CMMI Conference.

Every year, the SEPG North America conference draws a wide variety of engineering, project management, and software professionals, who come from a vast array of disciplines. Some are organizations that are getting started with CMMI, and are interested in hearing user stories that offer applicable lessons. Some are experienced in using the guidance of the CMMI and are looking for ways to take the next step in performance improvement. And some are industry experts who are excited about sharing some new and powerful ways the CMMI is being used by companies small and large around the globe.

As a certified Lead Appraiser, I always enjoy to talking about the amazing results I’ve seen companies achieve with the CMMI. I know that if you adopt the CMMI you will likely experience improved performance, increased productivity and fewer project delays. You’ll be on-time and on-budget more often, and your workforce will be happier and more productive.

Whatever your interest, this year, you’ll have plenty of chances to join the conversation, as the CMMI Institute is planning an even richer, more interactive CMMI conference experience. Some of the hottest topics in the industry are slated for discussion, including:

• Getting results with CMMI
• Making the most of your metrics
• ROI and CMMI for Services
• Agile and CMMI for Acquisition
• Drawing insights from stories aggregated from dozens of CMMI users

With this year’s theme of Elevate Organizational Performance, the 26th annual SEPG North America conference promises to give companies even more to think about. There is a full slate of high-quality, proven speakers, workshops and break-out sessions to choose from, with opportunities to discuss both principle and practice that we can all take home to our organizations.

What better place for conversations about the power of process improvement than at SEPGNA, with people like you and me, who get it?

So come on out to the Washington, DC area, and join the conversation! 

Register here.

The countdown continues! Be sure to check back soon 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 about engineering strategy,performance innovation , software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program. 

The #5 Reason I'm Going (Back) to the CMMI Conference This Year!

Hey, CMMI Appraiser!  Why should I make the trip to SEPGNA 2014? ~ friends met at other conferences this year 

Hey, friends!

It’s that time again! The CMMI Conference (a/k/a SEPGNA 2014) is coming to the Washington, DC area on May 6 and 7!

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. Whether you are just starting to consider adopting the CMMI for your organization, or already have extensive experience with the Model – you’re probably wondering whether this year’s CMMI experience is right for you.

Wonder no more! As a veteran attendee, sometimes speaker at SEPGNA conferences, and longtime practitioner of the CMMI, I feel so strongly about the value of the Conference that I’ve developed a list of Top 5 Reasons to attend SEPGNA 2014. And here we go!

Drum roll, please! Reason #5 is …

It’s all about helping you elevate organizational performance.

As you know if you’ve attended the Conference in the past, SEPGNA is the premier organizational performance improvement conference. Hundreds of professionals come from around the world come to learn, network and explore solutions to their performance challenges. It’s such an amazing event that I like to call it “the greatest show on earth!”

This year, the show will be even better! Our host, the CMMI Institute, has been working hard to make sure this year’s Conference has something for everyone who attends, wherever you are in your professional journey. Following a theme of “Elevate Organizational Performance,” the Program Committee has created two days of content focused on positively impacting the way you do your work.

Now in its second year, the re-imagined format is designed to help you explore using the CMMI to improve performance through first-person case studies, interactive workshops, and powerful presentations that can help you to get started with CMMI or take your organization to new levels of success.

Whether your interest is multi-model, practical process improvement, high maturity, agile, DevOps, Services, acquisition, or any other discipline, you will find ample opportunities to dive into the principles and practices that can help your organization better harness the power of performance improvement with the CMMI. Check out the CMMI Conference schedule.

The variety of learning opportunities alone is incredible. You can expect to come away with real life, practical and implementable ideas. For full details about the Conference logistics and to register, navigate around the SEPG Conference site.

The CMMI Conference is an great opportunity to spend two days focusing on how you can get better at what you do. For some, this will be reason enough to attend this year’s conference. Others may be preparing for their SCAMPI Appraisals, want to learn how to scale Agile, or just want to learn more about CMMI. Why will YOU go?

The countdown continues! Be sure to check back soon for Reason #4.

Register for the CMMI Conference.

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.