Most of the emphasis for development groups seeking improvement is to change processes and project management practices. But what are we missing? Why does our software often disappoint customers? One reason is quite simple-systems are built by people. People must work together, communicate well, learn from each other, and change personal behaviors based on experiences. In short they must operate as a team for the software to meet their customers' functional and quality needs. Based on her book, Achieving Software Quality through Teamwork, Isabel Evans offers a unique viewpoint on how to succeed in software development. Learn ways you can encourage (or stifle) teamwork; how to promote mutual understanding and tolerance of different communication styles; how different assumptions about quality can lead to failure or success; and methods for integrating teamwork and better communications into your existing processes and practices.

Vague requirements, undocumented design, poor code, and impossible schedules-these are the typical complaints of many developers. Whose fault is it? Of course, it is "their" fault-senior management, customers, users, etc. But, could we be part of the problem? Codependent behavior is defined as "a way of getting needs met that doesn't get needs met. We do all the wrong things for all the right reasons." When we agree to develop systems without understanding user needs, we teach others that participation in the project is not important. When we agree to absurd schedules, we teach others that our legitimate needs do not matter. In this compelling session, learn what codependency is, recognize codependent behavior in yourself and others, evaluate the negative effects of codependent behavior, and ways to respond more appropriately to unreasonable demands.

Experience demonstrates that no matter the end product-financial services, insurance, beer, construction, etc.-the foundation for and focus on implementing process improvement remains consistent. Using models as the basis for improving processes makes success more likely; however, no single model has all the right answers. In this presentation, Barbara Ainsworth provides an overview and comparison of popular software process models: Software Engineering Institute's Software CMM® and CMMI®; Project Management Institute’s PMI Common Body of Knowledge; and Quality Assurance Institute's Bodies of Knowledge for Quality Assurance and Testing. See the influence of both the old and new quality masters-Juran, Crosby, Humphrey, and others-and learn from them how to get your process improvement initiative on the right track.

• An overview of popular software process models

Through the application of a rigorous measurement model, which includes both quantitative and qualitative analysis, organizations can identify high impact areas of software development performance. With these organizational practices identified, you can more effectively align process improvement programs and realize significant gains in productivity and quality. Using three case studies, David Herron describes what leading organizations are doing to reduce costs and to produce higher quality deliverables. One company was able to measure and model the impact of an SEI CMM®-based process improvement program to analyze performance results from the program. Another organization quantitatively compared practices of high versus low performance projects to identify the factors contributing to better results. A third company used qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques to model performance and identify their best practices.