Date:    Thu, 11 Feb 1999 20:23:14 -0500
From:    John Pustaver <pustaver@swquality.com
Subject: SWEQSIG:2/23,
         Technical Reviews and ReviewPro by Mike Sowers


 When: The last Tuesday of the month:
 February 23th, 7:30-9PM
 Where: Adaptec in Nashua, NH
 (Future sessions listed at the end)
 ****
 About the topic:
 Technical Reviews and ReviewPro
 Presenter: Michael D. Sowers [mike@sdtcorp.com] Mike, from Software
 Development Technologies, will discuss the "pro's and con's" of Technical
 Reviews and will demo a new Web-based product called ReviewPro which
 automates any companies Technical Review process.

 Speaker Bio
 Michael D. Sowers, executive vice president of Software Development
 Technologies (SDT), has over two decades of experience in the engineering
 and quality fields with extensive experience in requirements gathering,
 defect prevention techniques, defect containment approaches, software
 verification and validation practices, software engineering methodologies,
 assessment practices and pre/post release measurement systems.
 Prior to joining SDT, Michael was the Group Director of Quality and Product
 Validation at Cadence Design Systems, where he lead the company wide
 strategic quality planning and software verification and validation
 activities for an internationally distributed team.
 Michael is an adjunct faculty member for the National Graduate School of
 Quality, is trained in the SEI methodology, a member of the Granite State
 Quality Council and serves as Senior Examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige
 National Quality Award. Michael holds a Master of Science Degree in Total
 Quality Management from Anna Maria College, a Bachelors Degree from Ohio
 University focusing on computer science, and an Associate Degree in
 electrical engineering from Muskingum Technical College.

 ****
 These seminars are FREE and we encourage your attendance. All presenters and
 coordinators are volunteers who appreciate your presence.
 ==============================

 Directions to Adaptec: http://www.swanh.org/engsig.htm#directions
 ***********************************
 Meetings are the last Tuesday of the month


 4/27/99
 Accurate Estimating and Scheduling using the Yellow Sticky Method Presenter:
 Steven R. Rakitin [srakitin@ma.ultranet.com]
 We have all worked on projects where the end date was given at the start of
 the project. When project teams are given unrealistic end dates at the start
 of a project, they are forced to develop the project schedule by "scheduling
 backwards. Most projects that are "scheduled backwards" miss delivery dates
 because:
 * Tasks are frequently estimated based on the time available rather than the
 time required
 * Interdependencies between tasks are usually not identified, and
 * All the unforeseen things that happen on projects (like people leaving, or
 getting sick, or taking vacation, trade shows etc.) are not factored into
 the schedule.

 Working on a project that has an unrealistic schedule can have a negative
 affect on morale, quality, and result in missed deadlines and unhappy
 customers.
 Many organizations have learned how to "schedule forwards" using an
 incredibly simple technique called the Yellow Sticky Method. In the UK, it's
 known as the 'Brown Paper Bag Affair'.
 At the April meeting, we will learn how this simple method works. After a
 brief presentation, the group will practice the technique by working
 together on a small "project" that doesn't have anything to do with
 software. Come prepared to work with your colleagues on this "project" and
 learn a technique that can help save your company time, money, and improve
 quality.

 Speaker Bio
 Steven R. Rakitin has 25 years experience as a software engineer and
 software quality manager in a broad range of industries including nuclear
 power, defense, computers, automated test equipment, telecommunications,
 medical instrumentation, and electronic design automation. He was one of the
 authors of the IEEE Standard for Software Quality Assurance Plans
 (IEEE-STD-730).  He has written several papers on the subject of software
 quality and recently published a book titled: Software Verification &
 Validation: A Practitioner's Guide. He received a BSEE from Northeastern
 University and an MSCS from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has earned
 certifications from the American Society for Quality (ASQ) as a Software
 Quality Engineer (CSQE) and Quality Auditor (CQA). He is a member of the
 IEEE Computer Society and the ASQ. He is on the Editorial Review Board for
 the new journal titled, "Software Quality Professional", to be published by
 ASQ in 1998. As Principal at Software Quality Consulting, he helps clients
 deliver Quality Software On Time. Further info can be found at
 http://www.swqual.com