Volume 3 Issue 1                                                                      1st Quarter 2003

If it is broken, fix it.  if it is not broken, improve it


 

Quality is like buying oats.

If you want nice, fresh, clean oats, then you must pay a fair price.

However, if you can be satisfied with oats that have already been through the horse ---

That comes a little cheaper!

Anon

 

Quality Corner

CMMI News Update

 

CMMI Interpretive Guidance Project

Since the release of Version 1.1 of the Capability Maturity Model ® Integrated (CMMI ®) Product Suite, the Software Engineering Institute (SEI [SM]) has been working to aid the adoption of CMMI. Currently, a project to understand how CMMI is being utilized by software, information technology (IT), and information systems (IS) organizations is underway.

Rather than presuming that we know the real issues, the SEI continues to collect information from software, IT, and IS professionals like you. We are collecting this information in the following ways:

 

·         Birds-of-a-feather sessions at conferences

·         Workshops at SPIN (software process improvement network) meetings

·         An expert group

·         Detailed interviews with select software organizations

·         Feedback from SCAMPI(SM) appraisals

·          Web-based questionnaire

Your involvement is critical to the success of this effort. We hope that you are able to participate in one of these activities.

The SEI is holding birds-of-a-feather (BoF) sessions and SPIN workshops.  The purpose of these sessions is to identify the areas of CMMI that may need further interpretation or guidance based on the participants' experience with CMMI. 

The SEI is establishing an expert group to represent the CMMI adoption concerns of the software, IT, and IS communities, and to provide advice and recommendations to the Interpretive Guidance project. A call for nominations is attached to this announcement and is available on the SEI Website at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/adoption/expertgroup.pdf

Detailed interviews are being conducted with select software organizations that have implemented CMMI. We are also conducting detailed interviews with organizations that have considered CMMI but have not chosen to adopt it. If you are interested in participating in this activity, please contact us at cmmi-software@sei.cmu.edu

The SEI is also encouraging SCAMPI Lead Appraisers(SM) to send feedback about model interpretation issues they encountered during appraisals.

Finally, in March the SEI will distribute an interpretive guidance Web based questionnaire that will enable a larger number of people who may not have been able to participate in any of the other activities to share their issues, concerns, and experiences.

As you can see, there are many ways for you to participate in this project. For more information about interpretive guidance related events, see the Interpretive Guidance Web page at

http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/adoption/interpretiveguidance.html

If you have questions, send e-mail to cmmi-software@sei.cmu.edu or contact Mary Beth Chrissis at 412-268-5757. We hope you can participate in this project.

 

“You often here that ‘Quality is everybody’s job,’ and that’s true. But it must start with management. Management’s job is to lead people toward a goal. And Quality is the only goal that matters.”

 I Know It When I See It – John Guaspari

 

Monthly Meetings Presentation Schedule
 

April 17, 2003 – Speaker TBD

May 15, 2003 – Speaker TBD

June 19, 2003 - Speaker TBD

IT Security – Where Does Your Company Stand?

 


Source: Metricnet Monitor, Jan. 19, 2003

With war looming and terrorism on the rise, more emphasis is being place on the security of IT assets infrastructure, and applications.

The above graph is from the Metricnet Newsletter.  It also reports that companies do not spend much on security training.  Survey results show what companies spend annually per user on security awareness programs.

    59%: Between $0 and $10
    41%:    Between $10 and $50


No one reported spending more than that

Where does you company stand in it’s security awareness training?

How big a part does security planning/design play into the development of your applications?

Concern for security and how it is being implemented should be included in all QA process/product review and audit checklists.

    

Trea$ury Note$

 

Please see the last page of this newsletter for the SAQA FY 2002 financial report.

 

 

FROM THE SAQA PRESIDENT

 

2003 has started out as a much brighter year for software professionals in the Sacramento valley.  A number of firms are hiring, so we can only hope that the IT economy has turned the corner and the need for software professionals will continue to grow.  SAQA will provide an excellent forum for the software professional to obtain training or information on new technologies as well as an excellent opportunity for networking with other professional's in the software industry.  Together we can grow our profession and our community as an industry leader for software professionals.

 

 

Upcoming Conferences

 

QAI has combined the QA and Testing Conferences into one conference this year.

Over seventy keynote and specific QA/Testing oriented information sessions.  May 12-16, 2003 in Orlando, FL.  For more information go to:

 http://www.qaiusa.com/

 

 

 

WWW.SAQA.ORG Visit our Website to find the latest SAQA information, view job openings, read copies of Quality Quotes, etc.  Our Web Master, Val invites you to send him ideas that you would like to see on our website, and some ideas on how you would like information organized. He would also like ANY information on links to other sites that you feel would be beneficial. Send any Articles, Images, etc. that you would like to see incorporated. You can e-mail him through the Website or at WWW.SAQA.ORG. There is also a feedback form right on the web site for your continued input. This is YOUR site. Let's make it a great one.

 

 

 

SAQA Executive Board

 

President – Jim Williams

Vice President – Steve Porter

Treasurer – Dawn Oliveira

Secretary - Val Balagot
Wellness Comm. - Laurene Fitzpatrick
Speakers – Betty Gabbert

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quality Analyst &

Test Engineer Certification  

Fall Exam Date Scheduled

 

The Quality Analyst Certification Examination has been scheduled for June 14 and December 6.  Start studying now.

 

GOOD LUCK to ALL.

 

.

“Customers aren’t interested in our specs. They’re interested in the answer to one simple question: “Did the product do what I expected it to do?’ ”

 

John Guaspari

I Know It When I See It

 

CA Government Technology Conference

 

GTC

May 14th & 16th

Sacramento Convention Center

Sacramento, CA

 

For details go to:

 

http://www.govtech.net/gtc/

 

 

 

 

Any Bright IDEAS?

 

If any of our readers have any comments, ideas, or articles they would like presented in the SAQA newsletter, please send them to the editor, Bob Shillato, at shillato@cwnet.com.

 

 

WEB Sites of Quality Interest

 

SAQA’s WEB site.

 

http://www.saqa.org

 

Quality Assurance Institute’s WEB site:

 

    http://www.qaiusa.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Starting FY 2002 SAQA Balance

 

$8,162.18

 

 

 

 

 

 

INCOME

 

 

 

 

 

     SAQA Dues

 

$1,000.00

          2002 Annual Membership Dues

$475.00

 

          2003 Annual Membership Dues

$525.00

 

 

 

 

     SAQA Seminar Fees

 

$3,615.00

          2002 June Seminar

$0.00

 

          2002 March Seminar

$3,615.00

 

 

 

 

     Proctor Fee Donation

 

$40.80

 

 

 

TOTAL SAQA Income

 

$4,655.80

 

 

 

EXPENSES

 

 

 

 

 

SAQA Expenses

 

 

     Seminar Expenses

 

 

          2001 October Seminar Expense

 

$13.47

          2002 June Seminar Expense

 

$0.71

          2002 March Seminar Expense

 

$2,794.18

          Equipment

 

$1,850.00

          TOTAL General Seminar Administrative Expenses

 

$1,223.30

               General Administrative

$70.98

 

               Annual P.O. Box

$38.00

 

               Advertisement

$468.82

 

               Merchant Bank - CCR

$638.70

 

               Postage

$6.80

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     TOTAL SAQA Seminar Expenses

 

$5,881.66

 

 

 

     Professional Gifts Given

 

$530.00

 

 

 

     TOTAL Other SAQA Expenses

 

$2,628.39

          Speaker Committee Expense

$934.60

 

          Tax Consultant & Tax Prep

$945.00

 

          Taxes - I.R.S. Fees

$185.41

 

          Taxes - State of California fees

$65.00

 

          Website admin expense

$465.69

 

          Wellness Committee Expense

$32.69

 

 

 

 

TOTAL SAQA Expenses

 

$9,040.05

 

 

 

 

 

 

End of SAQA FY 2002/Start of SAQA FY 2003 Balance

 

$3,777.93