Why I’m coming to SEPGNA this year – Reason #9

The #9 Reason to Attend SEPGNA: To Form Strategic Partnerships

Howdy, Partners!  My name is Jeff, but most people call me … Jeff.

Now, I know some of y’all cow-punchers saw my last hitchn’ post – I mean blog post – about the Top Ten Reasons for coming to SEPG North America on March 12-15, and are already on that dusty trail down to Albuquerque to pick up your badges.  But I reckon some are saying, “Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges!”  And so it’s time once again for me to drop my phony cowpoke accent and give you Reason #9.

Whew, it almost hurts my jaw to talk like that!  So now, in plain English, allow me to continue present my list of Top 10 Reasons to attend SEPG North America 2012.

Drum roll, please!  Reason #9 is …

It’s a great place to form successful business partnerships.

Let’s face it, we’ve all got one thing in common.  We’re all trying to make our companies as successful as possible.  That’s why it’s good to have strategic relationships with compatible companies when you need them.  And there’s no better place to form these relationships than at SEPG North America!

You want proof?  At last year’s SEPG conference in Portland, I had a discussion with another SEI Partner about his service offerings and our service offerings.

This Partner runs a very successful and innovative training business and we run a consulting firm.  We discovered our offerings were complimentary, so we struck an informal agreement to refer some business to each other when it made sense for our clients.  Nothing fancy, just a handshake.

Since then, I’ve referred him a number of class participants.  And, just recently, he referred us to a great new client, an information technology company.  Although we were already in discussions with this company his referral helped them make a decision that was right for them – and we earned their business.

That, my friend, is a first-hand account of the type of relationships and partnerships that are formed at every SEPG North America conference.  That alone is a good enough reason to go, isn’t it?

Need more?  Check back soon for Reason #8.

Jeff Dalton is President of Broadsword Solutions Corporation and the incoming Chairman of the SEI’s Partner Advisory Board.  He is a CMMI SCAMPI Lead Appraiser and CMMI Instructor and  can be reached at appraiser@broadswordsolutions.com.

Why I’m coming to SEPGNA this year – Reason #10

The #10 Reason to Attend SEPG NA 2012: It’s all about you!

Howdy, Partners!  So you want to know why y’all should hop on ‘ol Hot-n-Dusty and mosey on down to Albuquerque on March 12-15 for the SEPG Conference?  I may be a blue-bellied Yankee from the mitten state, but I’m fixin’ to give you the top 10 reasons for headin’ down to the BBQ.   Just as soon as I drop this phony cowpoke accent!

OK, enough of that!  To go along with the 12 Key Take-Aways that Brittney posted here last week, I’ve developed my own list of Top 10 Reasons to attend the SEPG NA 2012, starting today with Reason #10.

Drum roll, please!  Reason #10 is …

It’s all about you.

As you know if you’ve attended the conference in the past, SEPG NA 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 SEPGNA’s reputation as the Greatest Show on Earth.

This year, the Show is even greater.  The format has been honed even sharper to meet you where you are in your professional growth.  The theme is Reaching New Levels of Excellence … and that’s YOUR excellence we’re talking about. 

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 approximately 100 technical sessions.  Whether your interest is multi-model, practical process improvement, high maturity, agile and CMMI, or any number of other disciplines, each 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.  Whether you are new to the profession or a seasoned practitioner of the organizational excellence within the CMMI, there is a technical session for you.  Check out the full slate of programs.

Oh, and don’t forget to register by February 10, 2012.  You’ll save up to $300 off regular, full-conference registration rates.

And check back soon for Reason #9!

Jeff Dalton is President of Broadsword Solutions Corporation and the incoming Chairman of the SEI’s Partner Advisory Board.  He can be reached at mailto:appraiser@broadswordsolutions.com.

12 Key Takeaways from SEPG North America 2012

You only need one reason to attend SEPG North America 2012–but we’ll give you 12. SEPG North America is the premier software process improvement conference where hundreds of professionals from around the world gather to learn, network, and explore solutions.

Professionals who are interested in leveraging process improvement to achieve positive business results and improve their organization’s bottom line shouldn’t miss this conference–and the proof is in the program. Here are 12 more learner outcomes from real presentations on the agenda:

1. Discuss seven typical risks with process improvement and how to overcome them.
2. Hear advantages and disadvantages of two distinct approaches to increase agility in an organization.
3. Discover how a simple, four-step process can help to demystify Six Sigma application in the context of process improvement.
4. Receive key take-away tips for implementing a Scrum approach for process improvement.
5. Address the unique organizational issues and prejudices surrounding PPQA in large organizations and in small teams.
6. Identify important criteria for the success of process improvement efforts that are frequently missed or forgotten.
7. Recognize the importance of a holistic systems approach to processes, coupled with people and technology, to bring organizational effectiveness. 
8. Obtain practical knowledge in applying the CERT Resilience Management Model to improve your organization’s ability to manage operational resilience
9. See examples of appraisal efficiency using SCAMPI V1.3.
10. Learn how to write better requirements and better manage those requirements. 
11. Discover how an integrated process model increases overall efficiency.   
12. Explore a mechanism to take best practices and lessons learned to the broader organization.

Those are just 12 of the hundreds of learner outcomes from presentations in the SEPG North America 2012 technical program.  Take a look through the more than 100 sessions and see which ones you won’t want to miss.

Don’t forget–register by February 10, 2012, and you can save up to $300 off regular, full-conference registration rates.

Have you registered already? If so, leave a comment and tell us–and our blog readers–which presentations you are looking forward to the most.  We look forward to see you in Albuquerque!