Why Attend CMMI Institute’s Global Congress 2015? Reason #1

Dear Readers,

Global Congress 2015 starts tomorrow in Seattle!  I’ve been counting down my Top 10 reasons to be there, and today we’ve arrived at the final reason.  The #1 Reason I’m Attending Global Congress 2015 is:

It’s all about you!

As you know if you’ve joined us in the past, Global Congress (f/k/a SEPGNA, f/k/a The CMMI Conference) is the premier software process improvement conference.  Hundreds of professionals come from around the world to learn, network and explore solutions to their performance problems.  These are the folks who have been driving the event’s reputation as the Greatest Show on Earth.

This year, the Show is even greater.  Our annual Global Congress is a gathering of capability and improvement experts, and the theme for 2015 is Connect, Learn and Communicate Why Capability Counts.

What this means is that you can expect to come away with real life, practical and implementable solutions that will help you take your business to that next level.  The Program Committee selected over 30 speakers from around the world, and four customizable breakout tracks.

Attendees can choose to attend every session in one track or move between tracks to build a personalized experience that best fits your needs and interests. Check out the full program agenda.

Whether your interest is multi-model, practical process improvement, high maturity, agile and CMMI, or any number of other disciplines, each breakout track and presentation is designed to dive into the principles and practices that can help your organization better understand how to harness the power of process improvement.

The variety of learning opportunities alone is incredible.  New to the profession?  Great!  A seasoned practitioner of the organizational excellence within the CMMI?  Wonderful!  Where ever you are in your career journey, you will find an experience at Global Congress just for you.

Need one more reason to go?  You’ve got to be kidding me!  Just GO!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff pioneered agileCMMI, the leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement. He 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.

Where do we go when we want to go agile?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser – We adopted Waterfall to help us achieve a CMMI Level 2, but since then we’ve been struggling to meet schedule and budget.  I hear good things about having more rapid delivery using Scrum, but our CMMI consultant said “going agile” is not an option for us, because agile and CMMI are incompatible.  Where do we go from here? ~ Calvin M.

Calvin,

The first place you should go is to the bullpen to call up another CMMI consultant.  They should know that CMMI and Scrum are more alike than they are different. Both CMMI and Scrum are about solving business problem, and they function extremely well together.

To get the real story about using agile and CMMI: Check out “Agile Transformation!” the second webinar in our popular “Everything You Need to Know” series.

“Everything You Need to Know: Agile Transformation!”
Wednesday, May 13 at noon EDT
Register for the FREE webinar 

"Agile Transformation!” is hosted by Broadsword and delivered by Tim Zeller, Director of Strategic Solutions.  Tim will help you learn new ways to do some very useful things:

• Say goodbye to a Waterfall approach that utilizes a top-heavy, document-focused, command and control structure that you THOUGHT you needed to get a CMMI rating
• Say hello to more rapid delivery
• Preserve all the "good" things you did with CMMI, but just be more lean and agile

Not only will this Webinar help you figure out how to solve problems like meeting schedule and budget, Calvin, it will help you understand what needs to be done to become the company you want to be. You'll learn to transform the values and behaviors in your organization and take advantage of agile methods for a lighter, leaner approach to solving business problems incrementally and iteratively.

Get started with Agile Transformation today!  Sign up 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.

Why Attend CMMI Institute’s Global Congress 2015? Reason #2

Dear Readers,

The Starbucks coffee is percolating.  Microsoft Office is booting up.  Software and engineering professionals and executives all over North America are Sleepless in Seattle no more, as they wake up to the fact that Global Congress 2015 is just a few days away!

To help you see the value in making the trip to Seattle on May 12-13, I’ve been counting down my Top 10 reasons to be there.  Today we’re all the way down to Reason #2.

So let’s get to it!  The #2 Reason I’m Attending Global Congress 2015 is:

To meet with CMMI Institute leaders.

Whether you’re new to the CMMI Conference, or are a regular attendee of our industry’s premier event on performance 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 Global Congress 2015.  Especially this year, when key CMMI Institute leaders will be in attendance.

I think you’ll find their insights and experience will make a difference in the way you think about process and performance improvement and the CMMI:

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.

Dan Torrens, 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.

And don't forget to say hello to Darlene, Rusty, Alex, Katie, Geoff, Brian and all of the others who work hard everyday supporting the CMMI!

As key representatives of the CMMI Institute at Global Congress, Kirk, and Dan (and the rest of the team) are a big part of the face of the 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.  Global Congress 2015 is the perfect place to do that.

Pre-conference registration is closed but you can check in at the door.

By the way, if you missed it, here are my "top picks" to help guide you towards the presentations I will be going to.

Need one more reason to go?  I’ll be back soon with Reason #1.

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff pioneered agileCMMI, the leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement. He 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.

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.

Why Attend CMMI Institute’s Global Congress 2015? Reason #3

Dear Readers,

Can you believe it?  CMMI Global Congress 2015 (f/k/a SEPGNA, f/k/a the CMMI Conference) is NEXT WEEK!  If you haven't already decided to attend, this post is for you.  I've been counting down the Top 10 Reasons I am attending our industry’s premier event in Seattle on May 12-13, and today we've arrived at Reason #3.

The #3 Reason I’m Attending Global Congress 2015 is:

To build stronger relationships with your customers.

Building relationships with the customer is important in any industry. But it’s absolutely critical in the context of the CMMI, where we are passionate about organizational process and performance improvement, and helping companies be as great as they can be.

So let me ask you this: Will you take the opportunity to build stronger relationships with your customers by bringing them to CMMI Global Congress 2015?

As part of my commitment to the CMMI, I am bringing six of my customers to the conference this year. Last year I brought five. Here’s why I think it’s a good thing for every one of us to do:

Global Congress 2015 allows you 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 in Seattle, you’ll be able to connect with your customers on a personal level. You’ll share meals together, attend sessions together, and perhaps take in a night on the town together.

Global Congress 2015 allows you to guide your customers through the learning process. With you by their side, customers can grasp the real meaning of the CMMI, and the long-term value the model provides. And when questions come up, you’ll be right there to answer with real-live examples from their current projects.

Global Congress 2015 allows you to introduce your customers to both the CMMI Institute and other adopters of the CMMI. For me, this is one of the most rewarding experiences at the event I fondly call “The Greatest Show on Earth.” I love to see new friendships form when I introduce my customers to the smart folks from the CMMI Institute, as well as to the broader community of people with the same problems they’ve been facing.

In my opinion, it’s incumbent upon us – both the CMMI Institute and its Partners – to be people-integrators. That means, part of our job is to integrate the customers with each other, so that they can have a support system of their own.

And you know what? I’ve never met a customer who wasn’t excited about going.

So let’s be generous and share some knowledge. I urge each of you to invite at least one customer to come – and we’ll see you in Seattle!

Register here.

Need more reasons to go? I’ll be back soon with Reason #2.

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff pioneered agileCMMI, the leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement. He 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.

Why Attend CMMI Institute’s Global Congress 2015? Reason #4

Dear Readers,

Have you heard?  There is just one place to go this spring if you want to build relationships with engineering and software professionals who share your passion for performance improvement and the CMMI.

That place is CMMI Global Congress 2015 (f/k/a SEPGNA, f/k/a the CMMI Conference), in Seattle, Washington.  This brings us to the #4 Reason of the Top 10 Reasons I am attending our industry’s premier event on May 12-13:

To connect with people who get it

This year our hosts, the CMMI Institute, have made a tremendous effort to create multiple opportunities for us to connect at Global Congress 2015.  These include:

Birds of a Feather Gatherings

Each day at the conference during the 90-minute lunch break, tables will be reserved to discuss particular topics.  The length is designed to allow participants to connect with one another around our interests and experience.  Our hosts are calling these “Birds of a Feather” gatherings – sounds friendly!

Volunteers are heading up Birds of a Feather tables around the topics below.  If you’d like to convene a group around a particular topic of interest to you—either to share what you’ve learned or to learn from others’ experience — the CMMI Institute is inviting you email your topic to events@cmmiinstitute.com

• High Maturity Practices
• Growing my Career with CMMI
• CMMI beyond Software Development

Tuesday Evening receptions

VIP CMMI Associate Cocktail Hour with Kirk Botula

All Certified CMMI Associates are invited to join CMMI Institute CEO, Kirk Botula for an intimate VIP cocktail reception on Tuesday, 14 May at the Westin. Associates will receive a personal invitation and specific details for the event. Learn more about becoming a Certified CMMI Associate at www.cmmiinstitute.com.

Global Congress Reception

On Tuesday evening, May 12th, CMMI Institute and Global Congress Sponsors and Exhibitors will host a reception for all conference attendees. The reception will include heavy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and entertainment as well as opportunities to connect with your fellow attendees and exhibitors.

Yes, it’s all about connecting.  But you can't make a connection unless you're there.  See you in Seattle!

Register here.

Need more reasons to go?  I’ll be back soon with Reason #3.

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff pioneered agileCMMI, the leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement. He 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.

Why Attend CMMI Institute’s Global Congress 2015? Reason #5

Dear Readers,

Performance innovation is the name of the game at CMMI Global Congress 2015 (f/k/a SEPGNA, f/k/a the CMMI Conference).  If you're unconvinced there will be enough useful experiences to make it worth your while to be in Seattle on May 12-13 for the event I call "The Greatest Show on Earth," keep reading.  I’ve been counting down the Top 10 Reasons I am attending our industry’s premier event, and I think you're going to like Reason #5 …

The #5 Reason I’m Attending Global Congress 2015 is:

The mobile app

This little tool is so useful!

Picture this.  There you are, flowing with the crowd into a hallway packed with people.  Everyone is buzzing about the great speaker they just heard and the great sessions they are about to attend.  Some are bound for the Spotlight break-out track.  Others are heading to sessions in Build Capability. Perhaps you are more interested in personalizing your experience by mixing sessions in the Get Results track with the Coaching Café.

But there's an impediment: You have no idea where any of this is.  So what do you do?  Step off to the side, pull out your phone, and tap the app.

That’s right, our host, The CMMI Institute, has placed Global Congress 2015 in the palm of your hand!  The app provides details about sessions, speakers, schedule, attendees and more. Everything is sortable and searchable and extremely flexible. For instance, it lets you view your schedule in five different ways:

1) By day
2) By session
3) By training opportunities
4) By speaker
5) By bookmarked activities

I love it.  And there’s so much more.  You can scroll through the list of attendees as effortlessly as scrolling through your Facebook friends.  And when you see a name or face you’re curious about, tap to read the person’s profile.  Now you can be on the look-out for them at the conference.

Same thing with the speakers list.  If you scroll through right now, you’ll find yours truly, Jeff Dalton.  You can read my short bio or shoot me an email.  Better yet, get the details on my keynote presentation, and come join us!

And if you can't find the conference room, no worries.  The app has a map!

Download this powerful tool on the Global Congress registration site -- and don't forget to register.

See you in Seattle!

Need more reasons to go?  I’ll be back soon with Reason #4.

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff pioneered agileCMMI, the leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement. He 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.

Why Attend CMMI Institute’s Global Congress 2015? Reason #6

Dear Readers,

Here we are, less than three weeks away from CMMI Global Congress 2015, and you’re still undecided? Well, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve been counting down the Top 10 Reasons I am attending our industry’s premier event in Seattle on May 12-13, and the anticipation is palpable! Today we’re down Reason #6 …

The #6 Reason I’m Attending Global Congress 2015 is:

The personalized experience

You'll find that the hard-working team at CMMI Institute has really pulled out all the stops to design a remarkable learning experience for you this year. At Global Congress 2015, you’ll be able to connect with others who share your passion for building capability and elevating performance. You’ll have opportunities to share your experiences and exchange ideas with various thought leaders in the industry. You’ll network with peers who face business challenges similar to yours. You’ll pick up best practices and hear success stories.

Yes, Global Congress is all about delivering value. This CMMI Appraiser is honored to have been selected as one of the keynote speakers who understands the value of building capability. In my presentation, “12 Questions Successful Organization Ask Every Day,” you’ll learn to leverage the architectural strengths of the CMMI to get better at what you do, the way you do it, incrementally and iteratively. Within the framework of the CMMI, you’ll discover the power of asking questions about your work that only you and your team can answer, such as:

• What’s the plan for rolling this out across the enterprise?
• Which methods are we supporting?
• What’s the plan for getting everyone up to speed?
• Which projects use which methods, and why?

After the keynote presentations, you get a terrific slate of break-out sessions with valuable content across four tracks: Spotlight, Build Capability, Get Results and Coaching Café.

Spotlight: Gain the insights of CMMI Institute's resident subject matter experts.

Build Capability: Learn best practices from organizations around the world that have leveraged the power of capability.

Get Results: Listen to case studies from companies that have seen measurable results through CMMI adoption.

Coaching Café: Find out how to get started or how to take your capabilities to the next level. Offering one-on-one or small group coaching from CMMI thought leaders!

You can choose to attend every session in one track, or move between tracks to build a personalized experience that best fits your needs and interests. How cool is that?

Don't wait!  Register now, and I’ll see you at the Global Congress 2015.

Need more reasons to go? I’ll be back soon with Reason #5!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff pioneered agileCMMI, the leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement. He 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.

Why Attend CMMI Institute’s Global Congress? Reason #7

Dear Readers,

This year the CMMI Global Congress 2015 in Seattle on May 12-13 is shaping up to be something really special!  I’m looking forward to it so much that I've been counting down my Top 10 Reasons I wouldn't miss it for the world.  Today we've arrived at Reason #7, which is …

It’s where learning begins.

One thing I really love about our industry: We all share a burning desire for lifelong learning. We can't get enough of books, articles, and blogs. We watch webinars, listen to podcasts, hear speakers and take professional development classes. And most importantly, we come together on a regular basis to talk about what we've learned with our peers, and learn from each other's experiences.

Global Congress 2015 offers a wealth of learning experiences ranging from formal presentations, tutorials and workshops to informal conversations, and social interactions. There’s even an app for your phone that helps you navigate it all.

But no matter where you go at the conference, it’s great just to know you're in the right place to rub elbows with some of the finest professionals in the engineering process improvement and CMMI universe.  Just like anything, the more you put in, the more you'll get out.  By taking a proactive approach to learning, you’ll pick up strategies and tactics, tips and techniques, best practices to adopt, and pitfalls to avoid. And you’ll have the truly unforgettable experience of building on your skills and knowledge with those who share your passion for process improvement, performance innovation and CMMI.

Many of us will be coming back to the event I fondly call, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” formerly known as SEPGNA Conference. I've attended so many times I've lost count, but I can honestly say that I learn something new – and useful – every time I go.

We can expect even more great learning opportunities at this year’s conference. On the docket are 30+ speakers from around the world, including three keynote speakers:

Kirk Botula, CEO, CMMI Institute
Dr. Peter Tollkuhn, Siemens
Jeff Dalton, CEO, Broadsword Solutions

I can promise you, if you choose to attend, you’ll have fun, learn a lot, and leave Seattle with a lot of actionable ideas for process improvement, performance innovation and CMMI that you can put in place immediately in your organization.

Need more reasons to go? I’ll be back soon with Reason #6.

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff pioneered agileCMMI, the leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement. He 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.

Why Attend CMMI Institute’s Global Congress? Reason #8

Dear Readers,

I don’t know about you, but I am REALLY looking forward to the CMMI Global Congress 2015 in Seattle on May 12-13! I keep running through of all the great things that will happen there. So, for those of you who have never been to the industry’s premier event, I decided to count down my list of Top 10 Reasons to attend Global Congress 2015.

Drum roll, please! Reason #8 is …

Come for the technical sessions, stay for the networking!

Formerly known as SEPG North America (I have always called it “The Greatest Show on Earth”), Global Congress 2015 continues to attract engineering and software professionals from some of the finest organizations in our country, and beyond. That makes the conference an outstanding place to network and develop new business relationships.

You’ll meet everyone from CMMI Lead Appraisers to CMMI program sponsors to people who are just learning how to spell “CMMI,” but who are attracted by the idea of using an evidence-based model that can guide them on the path to greatness They all come together out of a common interest in process, performance, and organizational improvement.

What's in it for you as a sponsor?

Some sponsors come to the Conference actively looking for a potential CMMI Institute Partner – and it’s a great place to find one. Some have already engaged a Partner, but I’ve found that there is plenty of opportunity for sponsors to meet Partners, and Partners to meet sponsors during the many technical presentation and networking events.

True story: Several years ago, when the Conference was held in Portland, I gave a presentation called “The Agile SCAMPI: Taming the Savage Beast.” There was a decent crowd (ok, some came just for the hats I was tossing out for free) and I hope they received some good information about making Appraisals simpler and more Agile.

One company in the audience was in the process of tackling a large-scale, multi-location process improvement initiative. They needed help with planning, training, and conducting a multi-site SCAMPI Appraisal. They had already zeroed in on a small set of Partners to choose from but after my speech they added me to the list. Just like that! I ultimately started working with them and it was a win for everyone involved.

What lesson did I learn from this? Come for the great technical sessions, but stay for the networking. You never know when you’re shaking hands with your next big client – or finding your next Partner.

Need more reasons to go? I’ll be back soon with Reason #7.

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff pioneered agileCMMI, the leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement. He 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.

Why Attend CMMI Institute’s Global Congress? Reason #9

Dear Readers,

For over 25 years, the SEPG North America conference offered opportunities to connect, learn, and share with one another in the CMMI community. The conference has grown beyond software engineering and beyond North America. Next month, people from around the world who use CMMI across industries are uniting in conversation at the 2015 Global Congress, in Seattle, Washington.

Which brings me to Reason #9 in my Top 10 Reasons to attend CMMI Institute’s Global Congress 2015.  Reason #9 is …

Seattle is such a cool city!

At the conference, you’ll keep busy with all the presentations, technical sessions, breakout sessions, coaching and networking opportunities you can handle. Each is designed to equip you with implementable solutions that can help you achieve a positive return on your investment from process improvement. But you’ll have some free time, too, and may want to do some exploring.

From www.seattle.gov, here are some of the many unforgettable experiences awaiting you in Seattle:

SEATTLE ICONS

Space Needle
Seattle Great Wheel - The Seattle Waterfront ferris wheel
Famous Graves
Original Starbucks
Bill Gates House
EMP Museum
Hat N' Boots
Archie McPhee

VIEWS

Amongst the best things about Seattle are the wonderful mountain and water views. Here are links to some of the best places to enjoy Seattle's views.

Columbia Tower Observation Deck
There is an observation deck on the 73rd floor of Columbia Tower, at 701 Fifth Avenue, which offers views of Seattle and environs, along with a Starbucks coffee shop.

Smith Tower Observation Deck
The Smith Tower was once the tallest building west of the Mississippi. Its location near the downtown waterfront and Pioneer Square provides fantastic views of the City.

Space Needle Observation Deck
On the grounds of Seattle Center, the Space Needle Observation Deck provides 360 degree views from 520 feet above sea level. You can also view the webcam from the top of the space needle at this site.

Viewpoints
There are lovely viewpoints all over the City maintained by the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation. This site provides a comprehensive list of viewpoints with photos and directions.

DOWNTOWN SEATTLE AND WATERFRONT

Pioneer Square

Pike Place Market

Myrtle Edwards Park

Seattle Art Museum

Seattle Aquarium

Seattle Public Library

Seattle Underground Tour

Milepost 31

Seattle Waterfall Garden

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

… and much more. So come on out for the great presentations, technical sessions and powerful networking opportunities ... and stay for that one-of-a-kind Seattle cool factor.

Of course, there is so much to do at the Global Congress, you won’t want to stay away too long. Your CMMI Appraiser, Jeff Dalton from Broadsword, will be sharing ideas for "Questions Every Great Company Should Ask,” about transforming behaviors and putting you company on the path to greatness.

Broadsword’s Director of Strategic Solutions, Tim Zeller, is presenting, “Agile Transformation: Gaining or Maintaining CMMI,” about adopting new behaviors that will help your team take advantage of agile methods for a lighter, leaner approach to solving business problems incrementally and iteratively.

Click here to register for the CMMI Institute’s Global Congress 2015.

Click here to check out the agenda and speakers.

See you in Seattle!

Need more reasons to attend? Stay tuned for Reason #8!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff pioneered agileCMMI, the leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement. He 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.

Top 10 Reasons to Attend CMMI Institute’s Global Congress 2015!

Dear Readers,

Where on earth would you rather be on May 12-13 than Seattle, Washington, talking about the power of performance improvement and CMMI, with people like you and me, who get it?

Yes, indeed! It’s time again for the Greatest Show on Earth, a/k/a CMMI Institute’s Global Congress 2015. It’s been a while since we all got together, and we have so much to talk about!

That’s why my #10 Top Reason to Attend Global Congress 2015 is …

It’s a great place to have meaningful conversations.

It’s true. Every year, the industry’s preeminent CMMI conference draws a wide variety of engineering and software professionals, who come from a vast array of disciplines. Some want more information on multi-model approaches. Some are interested in practical process improvement, while others get passionate about using CMMI to transform from a Waterfall-based environment to an agile environment. And once you get me started on agile and CMMI, we may be at it for a while!

At the Global Congress this year, Partners and companies have even more to talk about than ever. We’ll discuss both principle and practice. We’ll talk about CMMI and process improvement. We’ll share best practices, tips and techniques. We’ll dig into what we’re all doing to deliver value. And we’ll have a back-and-forth on how to maximize impact and business results that we can all take home to our organizations.

This is Broadsword’s 10th CMMI conference, and this year I’ve been asked to deliver a keynote address on day two! We’ll be sharing our ideas on using agile methods and CMMI to implement process innovation solutions that improve software development and organizational processes, help transform behaviors and put you on the path to being the company you’ve always wanted to be.

Our Director of Strategic Solutions, Tim Zeller, is presenting, “Agile Transformation: Gaining or Maintaining CMMI.”  Tim will show you ways to think about adopting new behaviors that will help your team take advantage of agile methods for a lighter, leaner approach to solving business problems incrementally and iteratively.

So come on out to Seattle and talk with folks who understand.

Click here to register for the CMMI Institute’s Global Congress 2015.

Click here to check out the agenda and speakers.

Need more reasons to attend? Stay tuned for Reason #9

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff pioneered agileCMMI, the leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement. He 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.