Key Points

• Identifying clues that projects are in trouble
• Interventions once risk is identified
• experienced views of turning around software projects

Presentation Abstract

Many software projects fail. Many might not fail if we could only recognize the signs of trouble in time.

This is a 90 minute panel proposal to discuss real circumstances where projects have started to go south, how the panelists recognized the signs, and what they did. I've chosen experienced and thoughtful participants who have seen many software projects, and are experts at intervention.

Each panelist will take a few minutes to present their top three techniques for identifying project trouble, and how they might intervene. Then the chairmain will open the rest of the session to audience questions.

About the Panel Chair and Panelists

Panel Chair: Brian Lawrence - Coyote Valley Software

Brian has moderated panels in a number of conferences, including several past Quality Weeks. He has served as a program chair for the SEPG'97 Conference as well as the IEEE Computer Society's 1998 International Conference on Requirements Engineering. In his consulting practice, Brian teaches and facilitates requirements analysis, peer reviews, project planning, risk management, life cycles, and design specification techniques. Brian is the technical editor of Software Testing and Quality Engineering Magazine and serves on the editorial board of IEEE Software. Brian Lawrence Home Page

Panelist: Johanna Rothman (Rothman Consulting) observes and consults on managing high technology product development. She works with her clients to find the leverage points that will increase their effectiveness as organizations and as managers, helping them ship the right product at the right time, and recruit and retain the best people. Johanna is the founder and principal of Rothman Consulting Group, Inc., and is ASQ certified as a Quality Auditor and Software Quality Engineer.

Panelist: Esther Derby (Esther Derby Associates) has over twenty years experience in software development. She's been a programmer, systems manager, project manager, and internal consultant. She currently runs her own consulting firm, Esther Derby Associates, Inc., in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Esther works with people to increase their effectiveness in understanding and managing complex systems -- like software development organizations and software development projects.

Panelist: Maureen A. O'Hara has an extensive and diverse background in software project management. Through her 22 years in the software industry, and most recent seven years at Microsoft, Maureen has worked in software project development methodologies including team management and crisis management. Recently at Microsoft, she founded a group dedicated to improving the software development process and overall product quality.