This column provides members with information on relevant association meetings, conferences and other events in Region 14 – Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and to some extent Mexico. If you have information that you would like to share with fellow ASQ Software Division members, or you would like to get involved with the Division, contact: depeerc@sandia.gov or 505-844-7965.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
In last quarter’s report I provided a few comments from members on the Lack of Software Testing Certification (ASQ funding main issue) and the Lack of ASQ Focus on Software (hmmm… is this an ASQ problem or a more global problem). In any case, you all have a chance to focus on the importance of software by attending the upcoming International Conference on Software Quality (ICSQ), Denver, CO, October 16-17, 2007. Please go to the web site below, check it out, and plan to attend.

Our Region 14 software division membership was 280 as of April 2007 (234 in TX – so not many in the other parts of Region 14). See membership report at: http://asqgroups.asq.org/divisions/soft/newsletter/

Do I have any guesses out there as to what our Region 14 membership will be by December 2007? What should it be to indicate a healthy Region 14? As always – if you or your section have something you’d like to include in this short quarterly report, please let me know. The 4Q information is due by the end of September 2007.

Probabilistic Technology: I’d like to promote another area that seems to have a rather large amount of momentum from the military and from industry support. A rather new ASQ Probabilistic Technology Community (PTC) has been formed and will have their first Technical Executive Committee (TEC) meeting September 18-20, 2007 in Huntsville, Alabama. I am chair of the System Reliability, Maintainability, Supportability, Logistics (RMSL) Committee – that has a focus on the application of PT to systems, hardware, and software. Lt General Ross Thompson and NASA Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance Bryan D. O'Connor head up the PTC Executive Board. If you are interested in process control, probabilistic applications, how any of this might apply to software – this meeting might be a good one to attend. If you would like specific information on this meeting, please send an e-mail request to me, or see the more detailed information below.

UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST
September 18-20, 2007: ASQ PTC TEC Meeting, Huntsville, AL
There is no registration fee. Send an email indicating your intent to attend to: jacquie.hauck@us.army.mil

Meeting Theme: Enabling Probabilistic Techniques for Engineering Systems
For more info on the ASQ PTC:
http://www.asq.org/communities/probabilistic-technology/index.html

October 16-17, 2007: International Conference on Software Quality (ICSQ), Denver, CO

I’ll participate on a panel session discussing Agile Methods.
www.asq-icsq.org

Meeting Theme: Delivering High Performance Through Software
Meeting Focus:

Agile Methods
Process Improvement
Metrics & Measurement
Standards

Greater Fort Worth ASQ Section 1416 Activities
http://www.asqfortworth.org/ (this is a great web site for other sections to mimic)

Albuquerque ASQ Section 1400 Activities
CSQE Courses : Section 1400 is investigating CSQE courses, frequency, cost, and so forth. Cost, schedule (frequency), forward planning are all issues. Anyone who has such a program plan might provide input to the Section 1400. http://www.asq1400-abqnm.org/ (also a good website, but currently under some reconstruction)

ASQ Software Division Region 14 Report for 3Q2007 by David Peercy

ASQ Software Division Region 14 Report for 3Q2007
by David Peercy