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.

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!

SEPG North America 2012: Reaching New Levels of Excellence
Key date: January 6, 2012

While the early bird catches the worm, the super-early-bird snatches the most savings on conference registration. SEPG North America 2012 super-early-bird registration expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on January 6, 2012. Register now to save up to $400 off regular conference registration rates.

Take a look at the technical program, keynote speakers, and accommodations and start planning your visit to Albuquerque March 12-15, 2012.

More information is available at www.sei.cmu.edu/sepg/na/2012.

SEPG Europe 2012: ¡A Passion for Process!
Key date: 11 January 2012

Abstracts for consideration are being accepted until 23.59 on 11 January 2012, so don’t miss your chance to be part of a passionate line-up of presenters at SEPG Europe 2012.

Serving as a speaker brings many benefits–including a registration discount. Primary presenters for all types of presentations will pay a discounted rate of $795, which is $550 off full-conference registration rates, once registration opens in February 2012. Abstracts only need to be 250-750 words, so submit yours today.

More information is available at www.sei.cmu.edu/sepg/europe/2012.

The conference agenda and initial program has just been posted so take a moment to preview the selected sessions. Presented by industry-thought leaders from around the globe, these sessions will give you applicable tools and strategies to implement upon your return home.

SEPG North America 2012 will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 12-15, 2012. Super-early-bird registration is now open and the discount is expected to sell out quickly. The first 100 respondents will receive up to $400 off the regular full-conference rate, so act now to get the deepest discount. For an additional way to save, gather a group of colleagues and receive a discount of up to 35%.

Hotel reservations are also open. SEPG North America 2012 attendees may choose from three conference hotels, all of which are within a very close walking distance to the Albuquerque Convention Center. Visit the hotel page for more info about special discounted rates, benefits of booking in the block, and instructions on how to reserve a room.

Reaching New Levels of Excellence
SEPG North America 2012 includes approximately 100 enlightening tutorials, technical sessions, and keynote addresses that will inspire you to begin or continue your process improvement journey. SEPG North America 2012 is your opportunity to learn how to maximize your value, impact, and business results and to connect with professionals who will help you succeed with process improvement. You will leave with dozens of new ideas and solutions to implement in your organization.

More information is available at www.sei.cmu.edu/sepg/na/2012.

What does this mean for SEPG Europe 2012 delegates? As a result of this partnership, we pleased to offer all presenters an opportunity to submit papers for review and acceptance both for an SEI Special Report and additional inclusion as an article in IEEE Software magazine, both to be published after the SEPG Europe 2012 conference. When submitting your presentation abstract, you will be required to indicate whether you are interested in participating in a possible paper submission if accepted.

During the call for participation period, all you have to do is indicate your interest in submitting a future paper. The paper itself is not due at this time.

We hope that you find benefit from this new collaboration. We look forward to reading your submissions.

Interested technical program speakers are invited to submit an abstract for consideration by 2 January 2012 to be part of our compelling speaker line-up. You will have the chance to share your real-world solutions and case studies with a group of software practitioners who are there to learn, engage, and exchange ideas. SEPG Europe 2012 delegates include professionals at all levels, leading educators and researchers from academic institutions, all of whom gather to share a common ¡Passion for Process! Students have until 20 April 2012 to submit a poster abstract.

Among other benefits, accepted technical presenters will be given a discounted registration rate of $795, which represents a $550 discount off our full-conference rates. Student poster presenters will receive free full-conference registration. 

¡A Passion for Process!
SEPG Europe 2012 is your opportunity to find your passion, present your passion, and promote your passion for software engineering and process improvement. In addition to the rich technical program, the hallmark of the SEPG Europe experience is the abundant networking opportunities. You will have many opportunities to connect with like-minded professionals who are just as passionate as you are about process improvement.

More information is available at www.sei.cmu.edu/sepg/europe/2012.

For the chance to receive $600 off full-conference registration, submit an abstract by October 30, 2011. If you are accepted as a technical program speaker, the discount is yours. Primary presenters for all types of presentations will pay a discounted conference registration fee of $1,125, which represents a $600 discount off the general attendee conference registration fee.

There are five types of presentations and ten topic areas for which the Program Committee is accepting abstracts. Your abstract for consideration only needs to be 250-750 words. Your commitment can be as short as a 40-minute presentation or you can dedicate a full day to sharing your insights via a tutorial. The choice is yours.

The deadline to submit your abstract is October 30, 2011. Share your knowledge and experience with the SEI community by responding to the call for participation today at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/sepg/na/2012/participate.

For tips on how to create a presentation engages–not annoys–your audience, be sure to read our tips for creating and delivering a powerful, polished PowerPoint presentation.

Brittney Osikowicz
Communications, Software Engineering Institute/SEPG Conference Series

To support your request the SEPG North America 2012 Program Committee has developed a set of abstract review guidelines that are intended to communicate helpful details regarding abstract reviews for SEPG North America 2012. It is our hope that by giving you a peek behind the curtain at details like the voting criteria, the voting scale, and the process reviewers are encouraged to use when reviewing abstracts, you will better understand the process of building a high quality technical program.

This information is meant to enable everyone who submits an abstract to see the criteria used to evaluate and rate their abstract. (Hint: if you would like additional advice, go back and read our guidelines for organizing your abstract.) It will also allow those who participate in the abstract review process to better prepare for their tasks and improve the consistency of ratings among reviewers.

So, now that you are more aware of how we go about accepting presentations, I would like to share the 20,000 foot view of what we are looking for when building the program.

We are seeking high-quality presentations that reflect innovation and diversity in software process improvement research, practice, and education. The presentations that make up the technical program should reflect a balance between research, practice, issues and concerns, and education. The technical program should appropriately represent the varied needs and interests of the software process improvement community.

In the end, our goal as the SEPG North America 2012 Program Committee is to deliver an unbeatable experience to all attendees. After all, the heart of our conference is the technical program, and we want to build one that is relevant, timely, and exciting to attendees. We want to deliver on our promise to help all attendees Reach New Levels of Excellence.

We hope that you will respond to the call for participation. We are seeking presenters, reviewers, and students. Make sure you submit your information by the deadline of October 30, 2011.

Palma Buttles and Dave Zubrow
SEPG North America 2012 Technical Program Co-Chairs

What makes SEPG North America 2012 such an enriching conference is the enthusiastic network of professionals who are part of the technical program. Do you have real-world examples, lessons learned, innovative ideas, or an exciting perspective on a cutting-edge topic that you’d like to share with the software process improvement community? Are you interested in helping others Reach New Levels of Excellence by sharing your knowledge on how to-or how not to-implement process improvement efforts in an organization? If so, we welcome your participation.

The SEPG North America 2012 Program Committee is now seeking

* technical program presenters
* abstract reviewers
* student poster presenters

Visit www.sei.cmu.edu/sepg/na/2012 for more information on

* the list of topics–we’re seeking presentations in 10 exciting topic areas from multi-model approaches, emerging trends and technologies, security process management, and more
* the benefits of serving as a speaker–including a registration discount
* important dates and deadlines
* instructions on submitting your abstract
* special student opportunities for free and significantly reduced registration

The deadline to submit your abstract is October 30, 2011. Be a part of SEI history and respond to the call for participation today.

Hint: check out the post Guidelines for Writing a Conference Abstract by SEPG North America technical co-chair Palma Buttles for tips on structuring your abstract.

Take a look at the work presented by your talented colleagues from around the world. And mark your calendar: SEPG Europe 2012 will be coming to Madrid, Spain, in June 2012. Don’t miss out on the chance to network with some of the best and brightest minds in the process improvement field.

The SEPG Latin America 2011 conference is one of the most important events taking place in the Latin American market in the field of software engineering and management practices related to the development of software and systems. The adoption of best practice models such as CMMI, PSP, TSP, ISO ITIL and other standards is a reality in many companies throughout Latin America, this is one of the markets having a greater growth in companies that are implementing these models and best practice benchmarks. This is giving recognition to the capacity and know-how of companies within the industry and is positioning itself as a reference elsewhere in the world.

SEPG Latin America 2011 is aimed at professionals involved in activities of systematic improvement of people, processes, and technologies in organizations where software is key to business success. SEPG Latin America 2011 is geared toward both experienced specialists and those who are getting started in software processes and systems.

The themes and topics to be explored during SEPG Latin America 2011 include

* effectiveness and practicality in multi-model environments
* software processes and global competitiveness
* process improvement services environments and product acquisition
* safety unit–safe and reliable condition
* servicing software factory mode
* software process in SMEs
* quantitative project management and high maturity
* aligning metrics with business objectives
* experiences, case studies, and business results
* strategy for the implementation of associated projects in multi-model environments

Abstracts are being accepted until August 17, 2011.

More information on the abstract requirements, technical program, registration, speakers, and sponsors is available at http://www.sepgla.com.

The official conference activities began on Tuesday with tutorials that explored concepts like Test Maturity Model Integration, CMMI V1.3 and architecture, ROI in process improvement from a probabilistic perspective, and an empirical and experimental approach to software process improvement. SEI-Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraisers also had the opportunity to complete the required upgrade training for SCAMPI V1.3.

“With more than 50 technical sessions across nine tracks, the SEPG Europe 2011 program offered sessions that appealed to delegates who are relatively new to the field as well as seasoned professionals,” noted Patrick Kirwan, SEPG Europe 2011 technical program co-chair. “The program examined software from a holistic perspective by emphasizing not only process and performance improvement, but also architecture and software security. The well-rounded program gave delegates practical advice as well as inspirational vision to help them deliver solid customer results.”

SEPG Europe 2011 was not just about the technical program, but also quality networking. On Tuesday evening, the SEPG Europe 2011 exhibiting companies unveiled their displays and exchanged ideas and solutions with delegates at the exhibits opening reception.

Global Leaders Educate, Inform, and Inspire
The program on Wednesday opened with remarks from Paul Nielsen, director and CEO, SEI, who introduced keynote speakers James Over of the SEI and Martin Curley of Intel Labs Europe.

Over, a leader of the TSP initiative at the SEI, connected space flight, surgery, and baseball to software engineering to illustrate the notion that failure is not an option. He urged the delegates to realize that defects do not have to be an inherent, unavoidable property of software engineering.

Curley spoke about the IT Capability Maturity Framework (IT-CMF) and Innovation Value Institute (IVI), a consortium of more than 50 organizations that strives to help CIOs achieve increased, measurable value from IT. Curley lauded the SEI’s and CMMI’s wide-reaching impact and ability to reinvent, as CMMI’s legacy led to the development of the IT-CFM. He emphasized that assessments can be run efficiently and with low overhead through use of standardized tools and documents.

During the gala reception on Wednesday evening, SEPG Europe 2011 delegates had an opportunity to network in a more relaxed environment and earn a special certification that had nothing to do with maturity levels. This certification was issued by the Guinness Storehouse to any delegate who learned how to pour the perfect pint of Ireland’s signature beer.

Anita Carleton, director of the SEPM Program at the SEI, opened the Thursday program by introducing the keynote speakers. Alexander Springer of Robert Bosch GmbH talked about how the right habits and paradigms help to manage daily business challenges and interpret institutionalism. Using his experience as director of passive safety systems and experience with automotive airbag systems, Springer shared how after eight years of process work, Bosch made a habit of acting according to defined and stable processes. Springer advised the delegates that everything should be clearly stated, teams should have processes and stick to them, and integrity should be a higher priority than profit. He urged the delegates to make excellence not an act, but a habit.

The final keynote speaker, Bill Curtis of CAST, presented a quadrant for categorizing maturity models that illustrated the difference between organizationally-based and best practice-based models. Curtis summarized his view of successful process improvement by noting that winners have better people, but not all winners are champions. Therefore, while winners have better people, champions have better organized people. Curtis concluded with the notion that dynasties have better organizations, which is what well-designed maturity models achieve.

Celebrate ¡A Passion for Process! in June 2012
SEPG Europe 2011 technical program co-chairs Patrick Kirwan and Alan Willett unveiled the location of SEPG Europe 2012, inviting delegates to come to Madrid, Spain, in June 2012. With the theme ¡A Passion for Process!, the 17th annual SEPG Europe conference will give delegates the chance to experience and share the passion for process improvement in the capital city and the economic, social, and cultural engine of Spain.