Networking from 6-7, Seminar from 7-8:00 PM Event is open to anyone - this is a free talk. Come in early for free pizza provided by the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference!

Abstract: Estimates are required multiple times in a project. Project members need to make estimates for a variety of reasons, these include: • The amount of time for a task; • The cost for resources; • The cost of software, hardware and other materials; • The time required to finish a task. However, there are many problems with estimates. This presentation focuses on the sociological and psychological aspects of doing estimates. It teaches attendees the environmental issues that affect estimates and how to deal with their impact. Through class interaction, it shows both the psychological and sociological factors that affect how estimates are given and provides leaders with tools to help avoid the common pitfalls. By avoiding these situations, estimates become more representative of the project and more variation more predictable. Controlling both of these, help the Project Manager avert trouble. This a very interactive and fun presentation. It has a short exercise and throughout the presentation, attendees are asked to make estimates on doing the exercise again under a number of situations to help better learn from their own behavior.

Speaker Bio: Todd Williams has thirty years experience as a Project Manager, Architect, entrepreneur and businessperson. He has spent twenty of those years recovering red projects. From this experience, he has developed a process to make the recoveries more efficient. His experience also provides a plethora of invaluable knowledge on avoiding project failure. He has worked in manufacturing and service industries for products used internally and externally to the companies developing them. The projects include large-scale system integration of manufacturing systems, equipment integration, web-based collaboration tools, thick clients with automated update via the internet and large-scale business systems integration. The projects have been in Taiwan, Singapore, Canada, the United States and Israel. The teams have been dispersed in as many as five countries, three continents and countless time zones. Some of these projects were captive in-house time and materials projects while others were outsourced fixed-priced projects.

Mr. Williams is the President of eCameron, Inc., located in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, and specializes in recovering red projects. He is a published author and regularly publishes a Project Management Technique eZine.

Directions: Room 86-01 is located between the Engineering Building and the Fourth Avenue Building on the PSU campus. Enter through the Engineering Building at 1930 SW Fourth Avenue, go down the stairs and through the hall directly ahead. Street parking is available.

Rose City SPIN: The Rose City Software Process Improvement Network (SPIN) is a monthly forum for networking, mutual support, and promotion of effective software practices. We exchange practical experiences, ideas, knowledge, wisdom, and war stories about the technical, business, and human facets of software process improvement. The Rose City SPIN serves the software development community of the Portland/Vancouver metro area. Whether you work for a large company or a small one, corporate or self-employed, industrial or academic setting, you are welcome at the Rose City SPIN.

Questions? Contact Rhea Stadick at [email protected]

There are always scenarios where when given a hard deadline, we must respond with what work can be accomplished by that date. How do we know when to work with what we have been charged to do or push back? What options do we have?

How do we know when to Commit, Estimate or Explore in differing technical or business scenarios? When choosing estimation or exploration as an option, how do you communicate your reasons and negotiate with your customer or stakeholder when he or she would prefer a commitment?

We will meet in a conference room at CENTRL and spend 2 hours together discussing this topic and getting to know more about each other's business challenges. We will also run through a few exercises designed to challenge our thinking and ultimately make us better leaders.

Agenda

We are meeting at CENTRL 1355 NW Everett St on April 25, 2016

6pm: Food and Drinks

6:30pm: Get started on Forum discussions topic: Estimates

7:30pm: Exercise

8pm: Done!

What is 7CTOs?

7CTOs is a Chief Technologist Community of Practice where we share business challenges, grow together and collectively solve hard problems for the greater good. We meet in forums of 7 members on a monthly basis in cities across the USA. Check out 7ctos.com/story