SEPG North America 2012: Proceedings Now Available

Thank you to all who joined the SEI for SEPG North America 2012 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We hope you enjoyed the time we spent together learning and networking in the heart of the American Southwest. Read more about SEPG North America 2012.

If you did not attend, you now have the opportunity to see what was discussed and to share it with your colleagues. The daily conference proceedings are now available on the SEPG North America 2012 website.

Bookmark www.sei.cmu.edu/sepg to stay up to date on future events from the SEPG Conference Series.

SEPG North America 2012 Supports the Make-a-Wish Foundation

Attendees who are staying in the conference block at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque Hotel and the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Albuquerque are helping to make a wish come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Both hotels have awarded points for each attendee who made a reservation in the SEPG North America 2012 room block. While each attendee keeps his or her personal points, the corporate points are being donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Approximately 70 percent of all wishes involve travel and hotel stays, so these donations will help the Make-A-Wish Foundation to redeem free nights at participating properties worldwide. With the help of award points donations, Make-a-Wish can make kids’ dreams reality.

The SEPG North America 2012 team would like to thank all attendees who stayed in the conference block.

Wednesday Plenary Session Includes SEPM Director Remarks, Keynote Speakers

The SEI’s SEPM Program Director Anita Carleton offered opening remarks on Wednesday morning, during which she recognized the talent and dedication of the worldwide community of practice and shared her perspective on themes for next generation of our models, including more flexibility, iterative releases, and integration with other methods and practices such as Agile and lean.

Carleton closed her remarks by introducing today’s keynote speakers: Carl Wyrwa, former director of quality at Beckman Coulter, and Khaled El Emam, senior investigator at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute.

Wyrwa delivered a presentation on medical device software development during which he imparted that software quality must be extremely high to meet the demands of providing safe and effective products involved in the critical care of patients. Wyrwa spoke poignantly about the constant focus on software quality and oversight of the processes used to develop the software that are necessary to reduce errors that might pose regulatory problems.

Wyrwa passed along to attendees a piece of advice he received from his father: “Always do your work in a way that you would be proud to put your name to it.”

El Emam also used the medical field for context in his presentation that focused on software security.  Through real-world examples including an extortion plot involving personal information from patient prescriptions and the unsecure nature of the wireless link in implantable medical devices, El Emam illustrated the vital importance of a set of practices to secure data and protect patient privacy.

El Emam concluded his talk by emphasizing that privacy must be the default–and embedded into design and architecture of software and business processes–rather than something that needs to be explicitly set.

Palma Buttles, SEPG North America 2012 program co-chair, closed the plenary session by thanking the many individuals who make the conference a success. The time and dedication of Program Committee and abstract reviewers helped to shape a top-notch technical program that anchors SEPG North America 2012.
El Emam concluded his talk by emphasizing that privacy must be the default–and embedded into design and architecture of software and business processes–rather than something that needs to be explicitly set.

Palma Buttles, SEPG North America 2012 program co-chair, closed the plenary session by thanking the many individuals who make the conference a success. The time and dedication of Program Committee and abstract reviewers helped to shape a top-notch technical program that anchors SEPG North America 2012.

SEI Director and CEO, Keynote Speakers Open the Tuesday Program at SEPG North America 2012

Yesterday’s program opened with an official conference welcome from SEI director and CEO Paul Nielsen. He warmly welcomed everyone to Albuquerque–a city he called home for several years–and expressed special thanks to all of the first-time attendees as well as several individuals who have been to all 24 SEPG North America conferences. Nielsen also noted that SEPG North America is a global conference with attendees coming from more than 20 countries from around the world. Nielsen closed his remarks by introducing keynote speaker Walker Royce, a second-generation software engineer, author, and chief software economist in the IBM Software Group.

Royce delivered a presentation titled “Measured Improvement in Software” to a captive audience of more than 500 attendees. He opened the talk by introducing the idea that software delivery is an economic discipline and then walked attendees through six econometric patterns for measuring and steering toward improved economic outcomes. He outlined the foundational principles for software-driven innovation: integrate, collaborate, and optimize. When speaking about “optimize,” Royce urged attendees to plan project milestones so integration precedes unit testing, an idea he acknowledged may seem counterintuitive.

Throughout his 45-minute talk, Royce shared many practical, applicable solutions as well as inspirational ideas. “In software, we’re only bound by human imagination,” Royce said. “Our decisions are often determined by value judgment.”

In summary, Royce noted that better software economics is a result of measured improvement for improved predictability and agility for improved operational efficiency.

Following Royce’s presentation, Paul Mesterhazy, the acting deputy director of the National Cyber Security Division and former chief of staff for the Office of Cybersecurity & Communications, delivered prepared remarks.

Dave Zubrow, SEPG North America 2012 program co-chair, closed the plenary session by encouraging attendees to be actively engaged over the next few days and to take advantage of all the conference has to offer.

SEPG North America 2012–The Week in Photos

With all of the SEPG Conference Series social media channels, there are plenty of ways to keep up with the conference action. When we’re not blogging or tweeting, the conference staff is capturing the week in photos. We’ve just updated the Flickr photostream. Check out the “SEPGNA2012″ tag or the SEPG North America 2012 photo set to see the  week in pictures.

 

Jeff Dalton Named Chairman of the SEI’s Partner Advisory Board

On Monday the SEI introduced Jeff Dalton as Chairman of the Partner Advisory Board for 2012-13.  The announcement was made at the annual SEI Partner Annual Meeting and Luncheon at the SEPG North America 2012 Conference in Albuquerque, NM.

“We are pleased to announce that Jeff Dalton of Broadsword Solutions has been elected 2012-2013 Chairman of the SEI Partner Advisory Board,”Partner Network Manager Lisa Masciantonio said.  “The PAB serves an important role for our Partners, giving them a voice in SEI business decisions.  Jeff has served as a board member for the past two years as the representative for Small U.S. Partners, and we look forward to the work he will do as the leader for this group.”

Jeff Dalton, president of Broadsword Solutions Corporation, has been a frequent speaker and contributor to the SEI’s Partner community, and has presented at SEPG conferences for seven consecutive years.  He has been voted a “Top 10 Speaker” at multiple SEPG conferences, and was keynote speaker at the International Conference on CMMI in Lima, Peru, in 2010.  Leading up to this year’s conference, Dalton’s “Top Ten Reasons to Attend SEPGNA” blog posts have appeared at www.sepgconference.wordpress.com.

“I’m honored to be named Chairman of this group of forward-leaning professionals,” Dalton said.  “The Partner Advisory Board represents the vital connection between the SEI as creators of the industry’s leading process model, the CMMI, and the organizations that use it.  I look forward to collaborating with the Partner group as we evolve into an even more professional organization and full partner with the SEI in 2012.”

Broadsword is an SEI Partner and Process Innovation firm that is the world leader in using Agile and Lean methods to drive high performance engineering using their AgileCMMI methodology and collaborative consulting and coaching solutions. Working with great clients like Rockwell Collins, NASA, Boeing, Chrysler, Compuware and L3 Communications, Broadsword’s methods and success are proven throughout North America and the World.

Broadsword is based in southeastern Michigan.  Jeff can be reached at www.broadswordsolutions.com , +1 248-341-3367 or info@broadswordsolutions.com.

SEPG North America 2012 Opens With Energy and Excitement

SEPG North America 2012 began yesterday with great enthusiasm from the presenters and attendees alike. Monday’s program featured a menu of full-day and half-day tutorials on topics like the Accelerated Improvement Method (AIM), CMMI in small settings, Process Performance Models, and scrum.

At the SEI Partner Network Annual Meeting and Luncheon, Lisa Masciantonio, SEI Partner Network manager, recognized SEI Partners commemorating 10- and 15-year milestones.

Monday evening’s Exhibits Opening Reception featured food, drinks, and mingling with the solutions-providers who are taking up residence in Ballroom B this week. The student poster presenters also introduced their research and will be available during afternoon breaks on Tuesday and Wednesday. Be sure to stop by and talk with these up-and-coming process professionals.

This first official networking event of SEPG North America 2012 complemented the informal exchanges that occurred throughout the day during breaks and lunch.

Coming Up Today: Keynote Speakers and Conference Reception
Today’s program opens with a plenary session featuring a welcome address from Paul Nielsen, director and CEO of the SEI, and keynote addresses from Walker Royce, IBM Software Group, and Paul Mesterhazy, National Cyber Security Division.

The conference activities continue this evening at the Conference Reception, held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque Hotel, Grand Pavilion Ballroom, Second Level.

Lace Up Your Running Shoes and Join the Watts Memorial Level 5K Run/Walk–A 15+-Year Tradition

Did you pack your running shoes? SEPG North America 2012 attendees Norm Hammock and Pat O’Toole will be continuing a 15+-year tradition of hosting a run each morning of SEPG North America. Formerly dubbed the “Level 5K,” 2012 marks the second year of the renamed event, the “Watts Memorial Level 5K Run/Walk.” The run is in memory of the late Watts Humphrey, who was instrumental in the creation of the SEPG Conference Series.

While not an official SEPG North America 2012 event, the run/walk organizers invite any interested individuals to join them each morning–rain or shine. Runners and walkers should meet at 6 a.m.in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque Hotel and depart from there.

For more information, contact Norm Hammock (nhammock@aol.com), or Pat O’Toole (PACT.otoole@att.net).  Check out their video highlights from last year’s run.

First-Time Attendees Get Acquainted with SEPG North America 2012

For the first-time attendees the conference kicked off last night with a special orientation session that brought them together with the SEPG North America 2012 technical co-chairs, members of the SEI, and savvy returning attendees.

The technical co-chairs Palma Buttles and David Zubrow led the group in a discussion about the technical program tracks, introduced the track chairs and various SEI experts, and offered guidance on how to make the most of the conference. Several attendees shared their reasons for choosing SEPG North America 2012, which included a company just getting started with CMMI and looking to learn more about the appraisal process, an organization on its way to a Maturity Level 3 certification, and a Maturity Level 5 company looking to build its knowledge base on Process Performance Models.

Zubrow encouraged attendees to not just focus on a CMMI maturity level but to consider the competitive benefits of process improvement. “You need to think about what good process improvement is doing for your business. It can make you more competitive and allow you to better serve your customers.”

The second half of the First-Timers’ Orientation allowed attendees to get one-on-one advice on technical sessions from experts in CMMI-SVC, appraisals, multi-models, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and more.

Buttles added, “With more than 100 technical sessions, choosing what to attend can be overwhelming. The orientation provided a convenient way for attendees to meet with track chairs and SEI experts to plan their agenda, but we encourage any attendee to approach us throughout the week if they need guidance on choosing sessions.”

Welcome to SEPG North America 2012

For attendees joining us in person for SEPG North America 2012, welcome to Albuquerque. This historic city is the heart of the American Southwest and the destination for SEPG North America 2012. Throughout the week, we hope you have a chance to savor the flavor of the vibrant Southwest cuisine, explore historic Route 66, and of course learn new ways to leverage process improvement to Reach New Levels of Excellence in your organization. We are looking forward to seeing familiar faces and greet the many professionals who are attending SEPG North America for the first time.

We look forward to seeing you throughout this tell. Tell us–what are you most looking forward to at SEPG North America 2012?

Why I’m coming to SEPG 2012 (again) this year – Reason #1!

The #1 Reason to Attend SEPGNA: The Social Experience

Howdy Partners.  Land sakes alive, the big event in the ‘ol West is nearly upon us!  Yes, the SEPG North America rodeo is just is a couple of shakes of a lamb’s tail away (March 11 through March 15), and that means it’s time to rope in my Top Ten reasons to be there.  Here’s a round-up of Reason #10, Reason #9, Reason #8, Reason #7, Reason #6, Reason #5, Reason #4, Reason #3 and Reason #2.  So today we’re gonna get down to it and ride this steed into town – together.

So let’s saddle up one last time and finish my list of Top 10 Reasons to attend SEPG North America 2012.

Drum roll, please!  Reason #1 is …

The Social Experience.

That’s right, the people!  People are why we come together.  People are what make us a community.  As I mentioned in other posts, I’ve been coming to the Conference for the last umpteen years, and this is by far the best time of the year for me – due to the people.

We work and live in an amazing community of really sharp, forward-leaning people.  Getting together every year at SEPGNA is a great way to interact and collaborate with them.  We’ll hang out, learn, talk, laugh and raise a glass to everyone’s success.

I’m not just talking about Partners and SEI folks, either.  Customers will be there, real –life adopters of the CMMI.  You’ll mix with a lot of different companies and have a chance to hear their experiences about how they did it, the good, the bad and the ugly.  And if you hang out for happy hour you will REALLY hear some tales!

(Cue the Spaghetti Western whistle tune.)

Here are just a few of the many opportunities we’ll have to socialize at this year’s event:

Monday – the show opens in the afternoon with a big shindig on the conference floor.  This is where many of us will be reunited for the first time since last year.  Come out, meet vendors, meet old and new friends, and enjoy a beverage of your choice!

Also on Monday is the SEI Partner Lunch where Partners will meet old friends and get to know new ones.  You’ll have a chance to hear others’ experiences with what’s going on with the CMMI and the market.  This will also be my first opportunity to speak with the Partner group in my new role as Chairman of the Partner Advisory Board.  But it doesn’t end there.

Tuesday – The good times carry over to the conference  reception on Tuesday evening where you’ll experience the CMMI social event of the century!  OK, sounds pretty geeky, but it’s always a great time.

After the reception stop out at the famous ISD party and its equally famous band – The Model Mappers!  They play at Gecko’s Nob Hill  from 8:30 – 11:30 pm.  It’s just a short ride from the convention center.  Every year, they really go all out for their customers, and everyone talks about it for months!

Wednesday – if you’re one of Broadsword’s customers, you are invited to join us for our annual Client Appreciation Dinner and User Group.  It’s a diverse, eclectic group, and we always meet at one of the finest dining establishments in town.  We’ll eat, drink and be merry, well into the night.  (Locate a Broadsword representative at SEPGNA for more info).

Other Partners put on events throughout the week, so keep your ear to the ground and you might just catch a late-night celebration.

Those are just a few of the formal events.  But there are far more informal occasions to interact, talk and get to know each other better.  Personally, I find these chance meetings to be among the most enjoyable of all.

Last year I had an impromptu discussion with David Greer, Hillel Glazer, and a few others on the need to collect CMMI User Stories, and a new research project was born!  Stay tuned for our results on that one.

So that’s it, my friends.  Those are my Top Ten Reasons to attend the SEPGNA this year.  As you can see, SEPG 2012 is a win-win, and everyone should come to ABQ next week.  Best of all, it’s not too late to register – and we’ll see you in Albuquerque!

Need more reasons to go?  You gotta be kidding me!

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

Why I’m coming to SEPG 2012 (again) this year – Reason #2

 The #2 Reason to Attend SEPGNA: To Build Stronger Relationships with Other Partners

 

Howdy Partners!  We’ve come a long way together down the hot and dusty trail.  Now that the SEPG North America rodeo on March 12-March 15 in Albuquerque is almost here, we’re almost to the end of my Top Ten reasons to be there.  (Here’s a round-up of Reason #10, Reason #9, Reason #8, Reason #7, Reason #6, Reason #5, Reason #4, and Reason #3.)  But I still have news for you: whether you’re the quickest artifact herder, the coolest documentation roper, or the bravest process rider in the West … at SEPG NA, you’re wanted.

 So let’s get on with my list of Top 10 Reasons to attend SEPG North America 2012.

Drum roll, please!  Reason #2 is …

To Build Stronger Relationships with Other Partners

As you know by now, I’m a big believer in relationships.  I’ve already posted about the SEGP NA as THE place to build relationships with our customers (Reason #4) and key SEI leaders (Reason #3).  I am even more passionate about building relationships with each other as Partners.

It’s pretty clear to anyone who has developed and nurtured these types of relationships just how far-reaching and powerful a true partnership can be.

At SEPG NA we form, develop and nurture the relationships that matter most in our industry.  You’ll interact with other Partners and Lead Appraisers who, like you, are trying to make their clients successful.  In this way, SEPG NA is more than a conference.  It’s a community of like-minded professionals.

I’d like to see more Partners harness the power of the Partner community.  It’s the one place where we can get to know each other, learn from each other and potentially even work together.  The cool thing is, the more we do business together, the stronger we become as a community.  And the reverse is also true: the stronger we are as a community, the more we do business together.  You might say that the path to strong business is strong community.

As my good friend and competitor Bill Smith knows, I like to call it “co-opetition.”

As a unified Partner group, we are building stronger relationships with the SEI and with our clients.  But it goes beyond that.  We are building a community that helps each other build business.   And we want that!

It’s not too late to register – and we’ll see you in Albuquerque!

Need more reasons to go?  Check back soon for Reason #1.

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

Why I’m coming to SEPG 2012 (again) this year – Reason #3

The #3 Reason to Attend SEPGNA: To Build Stronger Relationships with Key SEI Leaders

Howdy, Partners – Whoopee ti yi yo, git along little dogies!  It’s time once again for my Top Ten reasons to go to the SEPG North America rodeo in Albuquerque on March 12-15.  If you read my Reason #10, Reason #9, Reason #8, Reason #7, Reason #6, Reason #5 and Reason #4, you know that SEPG North America is the place to be for anyone who is passionate about process improvement and the CMMI.

So let’s load up the chuck-wagon and get on with my list of Top 10 Reasons to attend SEPG North America 2012.

Drum roll, please!  Reason #3 is …

To build stronger relationships with key SEI leaders.

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 several key SEI leaders will be in attendance.

Since I’m limited to 300-500 words, I can’t talk about ALL of the great folks over at the SEI, so today I’d like to call attention to four influential people that you’ll want to be sure to meet at the Conference.  They are:

1. Dr. Paul D. Nielsen.  Paul is Director and Chief Executive Officer of the SEI. As you may know, part of Paul’s role is to visit with key customers to help keep the SEI aligned with the needs of leading companies and organizations, which is good for the Partners as well.  Talk to Paul about whether it makes sense for him to interact with your (or your client’s) management team.
2. Anita Carleton.  Anita is the Director of the Software Engineering Process Management (SEPM) Program at the SEI – and one awesome lady as well! Meeting Anita will give you an opportunity to learn about her vision for the  program, and give you a chance to share your ideas as well.   Like Paul, Anita travels to companies and organizations to interact with their management and help improve alignment.  Both you and your customers will benefit from meeting Anita.
3. Rawdon (“Rusty”) Young.  Rusty is another influential leader in a new role.  As CMMI Program Manager (acting), Rusty is the person to meet if you would like to hear about the future of the CMMI, if you have some ideas for changes (don’t forget to fill out a change request!), or about anything else regarding the CMMI that you want to talk about.  He’s your man!
4. Lisa Masciantonio.  Lisa is head of the SEI Partner Network and is the main point of contact for all of the SEI Partners.  If you have any Partner issues, Lisa is the one to go to.  In fact, go to Lisa even if you don’t have any issues!  She’s aweeeeeeesome!

As key representatives of the SEI at the SEPGNA Conference, Paul, Anita, Rusty, and Lisa are a big part of the face of a product line that is the best process model in the industry.  It’s up to us, as Partners, to get to know them, so that we can work more closely with them on reinforcing the brand.  SEPGNA is the perfect place to do that.  Be sure to introduce your customers to these fine individuals.

While I don’t have space to write about ALL of the great people at the SEI, don’t forget to connect with Eileen Forrester, Will Hays, Mike Konrad, and many others.

If you haven’t already signed up, be sure to register – and we’ll see you in Albuquerque!

Need more reasons to go?  Check back soon for Reason #2.

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

Why I’m coming to SEPG (again) this year – Reason #4

The #4 Reason to Attend SEPGNA: To Build Stronger Relationships with Your Customers

Howdy, Partners – by the sun slanting in the Western sky, I see it’s almost time for the SEPG North America rodeo on March 12-15 in Albuquerque.  That means I better put a hitch in my giddy-up and get on with my Top 10 reasons to be there.  (Here’s Reason #10, Reason #9, Reason #8, Reason #7, Reason #6 and Reason #5.)  Ready?

Then let’s get on with my list of Top 10 Reasons to attend SEPG North America 2012.

Drum roll, please!  Reason #4 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 SEPGNA 2012?

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 to do:

SEPGNA 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 down in Albuquerque, life moves at a slower pace.  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 round of golf together.

SEPGNA 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.

SEPGNA allows you to introduce your customers to both the SEI and other adopters of the CMMI.  For me, this is one of the most rewarding experiences at the SEPGNA.  I love to see new friendships form when I introduce my customers to the smart folks from the SEI, as well as to the broader community of people with the same problems they’ve been facing.

In my opinion, all of us – both the SEI and its Partners – should strive 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.  Have them register – and we’ll see you in Albuquerque!

Need more reasons to go?  Check back soon for Reason #3.

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

Why I’m coming to SEPG 2012 this year – Reason #5

The #5 Reason to Attend SEPGNA: It’s where learning begins.

Howdy, Partners – we’re just two hoots and a holler away from the world’s greatest CMMI round-up, SEPG North America, on March 12-15 in Albuquerque, and by gum, it’s time to share another one of my rootin-tootin Top 10 Reasons to be there.  I reckon you don’t need much more convincin’ after Reason #10, Reason #9, Reason #8, Reason #7 and Reason #6.  But there’s pleasure in the sharin’ … ‘specially once I drop this here phony New Mexico cowpoke accent.

So let’s get on with my list of Top 10 Reasons to attend SEPG North America 2012.

Drum roll, please!  Reason #5 is …

It’s where learning begins.

I’ve found that most of us share the burning desire for lifelong learning.  That’s why we read books, articles, and blogs.  It’s why we listen to speakers and take professional development classes.  And most importantly, it’s why we come together on a regular basis: to learn.

By now you probably know that one of the places where learning begins in our industry is at the SEPG Conference.  Learning experiences range from formal presentations, day-long tutorials, and half-day workshops to informal conversations and social interactions.  Here, you get to rub elbows with some of the finest professionals in the engineering process improvement and CMMI universe.  We all share strategies and tactics, tips and techniques, best practices to adopt, and pitfalls to avoid.  And we’ll have the truly unforgettable experience of building on our skills and knowledge, together.

Many of you, like me, will be coming back to the SEPGNA Conference.  (This is actually my umpteenth trip!)  I can honestly say that I learn something new every time I go.

Personally, what I find most valuable to learn about are actual client experiences.  I gravitate toward presentations that delve deeply into the topic, and like to learn the most from people’s actual experiences.

For example, at past SEPG conferences, I’ve learned about new ways that appraisals are conducted to be more agile and efficient.  I’ve learned new techniques for how to interact with sponsors.  I’ve attended great presentations that offered lessons learned from dealing with executives.  I’ve learned the 10 things you shouldn’t do at a CMMI appraisal.  And I’ve had fun too – with entertaining and interesting speakers like Pat O’Toole, Hillel Glazer, Bill Smith, Heather Oppenheimer, Judah Mogilensky, David Anderson, Mike Konrad, and many more.

We can expect even more at this year’s SEPGNA.  On the docket are dozens of excellent speakers on many timely and relevant topics.  So whatever you choose to attend, you’ll have fun, learn a lot, and leave Albuquerque smarter about process improvement, CMMI, and many other topics than before you came.

If you haven’t already signed up, be sure to register – and we’ll see you in Albuquerque!

Need more reasons to go?  Check back soon for Reason #4.

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