Austin Software Process Improvement Network (A-SPIN)
A-SPIN HAS MOVED TO TUESDAY NIGHTS!
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Next A-SPIN Meeting - Tuesday, April 17, 2001,
Presentation - Critical Chain Scheduling for Project Management, presented by Bob Futrell, Motorola.
Presentation Abstract
Ever since Eliyahu Goldratt's landmark book "The Goal" appeared in 1984, the concepts of the theory of constraints have been evolving into a controversial approach to managing the critical chain of events that pace every project. In his follow-on books "Theory of Constraints" (1990) and "Critical Chain" (1997), Goldratt expands the concepts further. Others, such as Robert Newbold ("Project Management in the Fast Lane - Applying the Theory of Constraints", 1998) have interpreted Goldratt's ideas and formed them into some practical approaches that seem to make sense for managing projects in today's environment. This talk will briefly introduce the concepts of critical chain project management compared to "standard" project management, and present some of the issues surrounding this different approach to managing schedules.
About the Speaker
Bob Futrell is a consultant for Project Management Systems in Austin, TX, providing project management training and consulting on the topics of software quality engineering and project management to business and industry in the Austin area. He is currently serving as a Program Management Master for Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector in their MOS-11 Fab.
Mr. Futrell has a BS in Information Systems Management with Computer Science and Math from the University of Maryland, and a Masters in Telecommunications Management from St. Edward’s University and the University of Dallas. He has earned certifications as a Certified Quality Manager (CQM) and Certified Software Quality Engineer (CSQE) from the American Society of Quality (ASQ), and as a Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI). He has been an examiner for the Greater Austin Quality Award, and the Texas Award for Performance Excellence, both based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence criteria.
He has been a principle instructor in the Software Project Management Certificate Program of the Software Quality Institute at UT since 1993. He is an Adjunct Professor of Project Management for the University of Dallas Internet MBA program.
Mr. Futrell has over 25 years experience in the computer industry, with 15 years of software development and management experience with Texas Instruments, Inc. He has led or managed over 20 software development projects worth more than $1M each, with up to 30 members, spread over the U.S. and 8 foreign countries, with durations of 3 to 24 months, involving technologies from micro-code to Lisp and C, on platforms from networked PC's to midrange and mainframe systems. His projects have covered a wide assortment of accounting, business modeling, communications, and operations control applications using both procedural and object-oriented approaches. Mr. Futrell is interested in the advancement of tools and techniques for project management, and business process design toward higher software quality.
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Austin Software Improvement Network (A-SPIN)
SPIN (Software Process Improvement Network) is a forum for the free and open exchange of software process improvement ideas and experiences. The organization serves as a source of educational, scientific and practical information for its members, other SPIN organizations and the general software community. The Austin SPIN is affiliated with the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, the Austin Software Council, the Software Quality Institute and currently has sister SPINs in several cities across the U.S.
SPIN Meeting Times: Tuesday Evenings, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: Pickle Research Campus, Commons Building, Auditorium 1.122
(SPIN meets the third Tuesday evening of each month (excluding the month of July).
SPIN Meetings are held in the small auditorium in the Commons Building on the Pickle Research Campus (PRC) of The University of Texas at Austin. PRC is located on Braker Lane between MoPac and Burnet Road. Enter the gate on Burnet Road, half a block south of the Braker and Burnet intersection. Inside the PRC Campus, the Commons Building is located on the northeast corner of Road A and Granberry Trail.
Directions
Go to the intersection of MoPac and Braker Lane. Go east on Braker and turn right (south) on Burnet Road. Go a half-block and turn right into the PRC gate. Alternatively, you can go north on Burnet from 183 and turn left into the gate. In either case, from the PRC gate continue straight ahead on Read Granberry Trail. The Commons Building is at the intersection
of Read Granberry and Road A. Turn right on Road A and right again to get to the parking lot which is under the water tower on your right.
SPIN Meeting Agenda
6:00 p.m. Dinner (optional)
6:30 p.m. Networking
7:00 p.m. Meeting - Call to Order: Lynn Thurmond, Trimble Navigation, Ltd.
7:30 p.m. Presentation
9:00 p.m. Adjourn
www.utexas.edu
- Tuesday Nights at the Commons
For more information about A-SPIN, contact: Lynn_Thurmond@hotmail.com
SPIN Meeting Announcements
Information about monthly meetings are distributed by postal service and E-mail. To be added to the mailing list, send your name, company, mailing address, zip code and Internet address to:
Fax (512)471-4824
E-mail: info@sqi.utexas.edu
SPIN Financial Support
Financial support for the Austin SPIN is underwritten by individual and corporate subscriptions to the Software Quality Institute.
SPIN Administration
Facilities arrangements, staffing, and promotion of SPIN activities are provided by the Software Quality Institute.
Links to Other SPIN Resources
SEI's National SPIN Page
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