Session 2

10:45 – 11:45

Andrew Mitchell, Brenda Boon, Dale Kehler

Brenda Fay and Kelly Slauenwhite

Marc O'Brien

Jules Fauteux

Title

3 top techniques from 3 veteran BAs

Moving towards a virtual learning system

Applying Metrics to a Software Development Project

How high is too high? A discussion of pricing strategies for the professional consultant

Abstract

Take-away’s for active BAs - some tools and techniques that experienced BAs have used to get the job done. This is a panel by 3 experienced BA’s bringing their favourite tools to the table, focusing on business process modeling and improvement. Attendees will benefit by hearing some practical tips for BAs, PMs, consultants and managers to take back to their jobs.

Andrew will be looking at Swim Lane Diagrams for understanding As-is business process and identifying problems.

Brenda will look into the components of an effective use case as well as diagramming techniques and benefits.

Dale will focus on selecting an appropriate BPM strategy for your business environment.

As organizations move more toward virtual teams, home offices, and satellite offices, the traditional methods of communication and team development are either not cost effective or not possible. With the embracing of social media there has been an evolution towards implementing a virtual learning system as part of an organization’s development strategy.

This interactive session provides an opportunity to have some open discussion and share best practices and lessons learned from the organizations that have successfully moved in that direction.

The presenter will provide some real life examples of transitioning to social media, and some of the road blocks that organizations need to be aware of. This information is based on personal experience, research and case studies, and will be directly usable on the job by the participants.

Participants in the session:

• Get a better understanding on what a virtual learning system and social media is;

• Have some open discussion on social media and the application at work;

• Provide an opportunity to share lessons learned in applying social media to team development;

• Walk away with some checklists and processes to guide their own activities on the job.

Any member of a team, including team and organizational leaders, will gain great insight on the use, and limitations, or social media and a virtual learning system in the workplace.

My presentation will discuss software metrics, using a real world example of a recently completed software development project. I will discuss the following:

• The purpose of software quality metrics is to make assessments throughout the software life cycle as to whether the software quality requirements are being met.

• Management by Fact

o A key element of quality management whereby employees collect data about the work they perform, and use that information to make decisions affecting their work.

• The basic statistical tools for quality control, as promoted by Ishikawa, are the following:

o Check Sheets

o Histograms

o Graphs

o Scatter Diagrams

o Pareto Diagrams

o Control Charts

o Cause and Effect Diagrams

• Psychology of Metrics

o Any measurement program must have clearly stated objectives and these should be agreed by all concerned.

o Measurement should not be used to assess the individual, but to assess the process.

• The Rayleigh Model

o A formal model that can be used for projecting the latent software defects of a software product.

This presentation would be beneficial to anyone involved in a software development project, as well as to anyone interested in metrics in general.

Most professionals work to satisfy a variety of needs. Managing a good practice requires appropriate pricing and compensation. Balancing value for service with a fair profit requires ongoing attention and is often the source of much debate at proposal submission time as well as at year end. Managing risk in fixed price situations and maintaining relationships with subcontractors and associates in the supply chain adds even more to the mix.

As professionals who solve complex problems for clients we sometimes fail to take the time to assess our own business situations to answer tough questions like, “What’s the right price for my services?” Whether it’s as an employee or a practitioner it’s the same issue often thought of as, “How high is too high?” This discussion will take your critical thinking about your compensation to the next level. We’ll explore:

• Why we work and how get paid

• Current market pricing and typical compensation scenarios

• Strategies to achieve the balance that’s right for you and your client(s) or employer

Any professional from Software Tester to Business Analyst to Infrastructure Architect to Project Manager has wondered what they are worth and how they should be compensated. Come join your peers for a discussion of the issues and how you can be better equipped to deal with them.

Bio

Andrew Mitchell is a Senior Business Analyst with Concertia Technologies Inc. He has been helping organizations solve business problems with effective IT solutions since 1996. He has applied his expertise in Business Analysis, Project Management and Solution Development to provide business value to his customers. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Mary’s University and a Diploma in Applied Information Technology from ITI. In 2006 he completed the Master Certificate in Project Management and obtained the Project Management Professional (PMP) designation from the Project Management Institute. Andrew is passionate about leadership and technology, and brings both together to deliver successful projects and lead successful project teams. Andrew has business domain experience in Group Insurance, Financial Services, Supply Chain Management, Transportation and Government.

Brenda (CBAP) is a Business Analyst with Bell Aliant and has been involved in Business Analysis for more than 13 years. Currently Brenda is working as a senior BA in the Bell Aliant IT Software Development group with a focus on Process Quality in the Test Centre of Excellence. Brenda was responsible for the development and delivery of Use Case training for all the Business Analysts in all 4 Bell Aliant Atlantic provinces. In 2005, Brenda was a part of the group of Business Analysts who successfully introduced the International Institute of Business Analysts, Halifax Chapter.

Dale Kehler (PMP) is a Business Analyst with McInnes Cooper and has been involved in Business Analysis and Project Management for more than 10 years. In roles ranging from senior consultant to instructor to business owner, he has gained considerable experience acting as “interpreter” between business managers and IT professionals. Experience as both a business manager as well as a software developer has provided unique exposure to both sides of the technology fence. Dale completed the Master Certificate in Project Management at Saint Mary’s and the Certificate of Business Analysis at Dalhousie. He obtained his PMP certification in 2007 and is the (very long) application stage of CBAP certification.

Kelly Slauenwhite is a Quality Assurance Specialist who has been in the IT industry for over 10 years. During this time she has worked effectively within geographically-remote, cross functional and virtual team structures. She has seen and experienced firsthand some of the challenges and changes that organizations and teams have had to go through when working within these team environments.

Kelly's IT career has been concentrated in the communications sector. She has worked for such global companies as xwave, Keane, and AOL. Kelly is currently a Senior Quality Assurance Specialist at RIM in Halifax.

Marc O’Brien has been a member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) since 1997 and is a Certified Quality Manager and Certified Software Quality Engineer. He has over 20 years experience in the software industry, half of that in test automation. He has done presentations on test automation at the 2001 Segue Quest International Users Conference in Florida, 2007 ASQ International Conference on Software Quality in Denver, and the 2010 Professional Development Summit in Halifax. He is currently a Senior Consultant at Technology Group Atlantic in Halifax.

Jules Fauteux helps teams and individuals to improve performance. He focuses on people and applies best practices to help teams and individuals to think, plan, change, engage, and grow.

Mr. Fauteux holds a Master of Business Administration, is a Certified Management Consultant, a Certified Human Resource Professional, a Registered Professional Recruiter, and a Certified Change Manager. Throughout his twenty five year career he has worked with a broad range of professional organizations and individuals in North America to improve their performance.

Jules Fauteux is currently Principal Consultant at Talentlogix Inc. where he provides Management Consulting and Recruitment services. His practice areas include Strategy, Planning, Business Change, and Recruitment.