SEPG Keynotes Stress Human & Historical Perspectives in Addressing Tech Challenges

On a day filled with presentations and seminars focused on technical issues, Tuesday's SEPG '007 keynote speakers reminded attendees not to overlook the importance of people in their process improvement efforts.

After an introductory speech and Member award ceremony led by SEI director Paul Nielsen. Jorge Aramburo Seigert - the CEO and founder of PSL, a Colombia - based software services firm - took the stage to give the first keynote address of SEPG '007.

In his presentation - a lecture self-described as "full of opinions," - Mr. Aramburo painted a picture of PSL climbing from a state os chaos to one of process - and people-driven success. Under Mr. Aramburo's leadership, PSL drastically reduced software defect rates, increased productivity by over 600%, and gained CMMI level 5 and ISO 9001 certification along with numerous other process achievements.

"Software engineering is like marriage: you can't understand it until you live it," noted Mr. Aramburo who advocated for a phased, gradual discovery approach to process improvement. His presentation traced PSL's efforts to first control a chaotic situation, then develop organizational effectiveness, and finally transform into an organization that worked faster and cheaper. Above all, Mr. Aramburo note that providing employees with an engaging common cause was the primary factor that led to PSL achieving succes.

SEPG's second speaker, Global Business Network CEO and President Eamonn Kelly, continued the morning's focus on people, giving the subject a historical perspective. In his presentation, Mr. Kelly analyzed Western culture's major assumptions during the past 500 years and noted that current challenges facing humankind require a questioning of these long-held beliefs.

Mr. Kelly described the present world as one in wich people can no longer assume that innovation will come from the West, that nation-states will drive international politics, nor that "secular modernity" will overpower spiritual beliefs. As the world increasingly accumulates data and transparency, leaders will find difficulty in deciding between divergent, competing analyses. Kelly concluded by noting that "rediscovering the humanity in our work is the next big challenge."

Mr. Aramburo felt Mr. Kelly's speech was "very interesting in that he made you question whether we as a society are doing the proper things." He also commented that statistics in Mr. Kelly's presentation reinforced his own beliefs, most notably that in the future, the developing world would likely find it easier to rally employees around a cause - like in the case of PSL - than might be the case in the West.