25 January 2008

Teaching CMMI Crash Course in Tampa

I'll be delivering the CMMI Crash Course&trade: What the SEI Won't Teach You at the SEPG-NA in Tampa this March.

It's currently scheduled for Thursday the 20th at 1:30pm. Listed as a tutorial.

Hope to see you at SEPG regardless!

(Anyone looking to license the Crash Course so they can deliver it should consider attending so you see it being done. I'm also hoping to have it recorded.)

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24 January 2008

DIGGERS: Help REPEAL the computer services tax!

Literally overnight - with almost no input from the industry - a 6% tax on computer services was levied against all "computer services" in the state of Maryland. Think about the adverse effects on the state's economy and on people like you and me. Visit this site, fire off an email to some state delegates, and help us repeal this tax!You've read me talking about it earlier... now I'm Digging it. Please do the same for us.Thanks!

read more | digg story.

Also see: FightTheTechTax

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23 January 2008

You can't improve what you don't have.

In a recent meeting at a client, a very intelligent conversation took place among seasoned process professionals about their own process improvement efforts. This conversation helped crystallize a thought in a way that's so simple, merely stating it comes across as being so obvious as to leave one wondering why I'd mention it.

So many implementations of CMMI become so NON agile and so bureaucratic simply because when setting out to use CMMI, the organization doesn't have processes/ procedures/ standards of their own, and endeavor (whether knowingly or not) to use CMMI as the definition of their processes rather than as the model to improve their processes.

This same misapplication of CMMI can be blamed for so many organizations (and individuals) perceiving CMMI as being a process method or development standard. Certainly, this is what CMMI becomes when processes are defined by it, rather than improved by it.

It's this simple: organizations need to have processes before using CMMI to improve them! Of course, if an organization doesn't have their own processes, it's a great opportunity to create really great ones when they build the improvement activities (a la CMMI) into their processes while they're designing/ constructing those processes.

This is what we end up doing with most of our clients, only we're very lucky. Most of our clients don't need us to discover their processes while we're at it, they just have us coach them as to how to re-factor their processes with CMMI as an ingredient.

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21 January 2008

Death of an Industry

I'm using this space to let people know of one of the utmost IDIOTIC things to ever happen in the State of Maryland.

It's called the IT and Computer Services Tax.
Yup, that's right! The killing of the "golden goose". The death of an industry.

If you live in Maryland (or have business here, or clients, or friends, or family, or are thinking of expanding your business here....) you MUST take action.

Maryland's Legislature snuck in a tax to balance the budget that will apply a 6% sales and use tax (the same tax they apply to most purchased items -- which itself also went up from 5% to 6%) to computer and IT services.

This tax will effect everyone in the State, not just those companies who are pegged as being in that field. In the interests of full disclosure, my business will not be taxed. However, everyone I buy computer services from and everyone of my local clients could possibly be taxed which either means they'll spend less on my business or charge me more for what I buy.

The bottom line here, is irrespective of whether you think you'll be affected, you will. What's bad for the IT industry is bad for everyone.

Please visit the Maryland Computer Services Association website for background information and an action list. They've made it very easy and FREE to take action whether or not you're local.

No amount of logic or threats to leave the state seem to be enough. Maryland computer and IT services professionals need your help. Please take a few minutes to consider.

Thanks!

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18 January 2008

ANNOUNCEMENT: Introducing the Greater Baltimore SPIN!

Yes, you read it correctly!

A new Software/Systems Process Improvement Network (aka an SEI "Chapter") is starting up in the Greater Baltimore area. Facilitated by yours truly and called gbSPIN for short, our aim is to bring you high-value, relevant and important content on the subject of project, product, and process excellence.

Our mission is to provide pragmatic, practical, and timely content on process improvement topics. We won't be limiting ourselves to CMMI or other technologies from the SEI because there's so much more to the conversation than just CMMI. To that end, we are co-operating with the Maryland chapter of APLN.

Our FIRST EVER meeting will be on Tuesday, February 19th in Ellicott City, MD, starting at 5:30pm with networking, socializing, and dinner followed by our topic, a workshop called Learning to See Waste. Learning to see waste is the first step in becoming a "lean" operation.

Details and registration information are available here:
http://gbspin.pbwiki.com/Upcoming+Meetings

The group's main page is here:
http://gbspin.pbwiki.com/

Please spread the word and hope to see you!

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