HVBF Monthly Meeting - Information Systems Roundtable
Thursday, April 10, 2003, 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

Host:

Loyola College in Maryland

Attending:

Anita Borek, Johns Hopkins
Johnny Brunson, Carefirst BlueCross BlueShield
Keith Carey
Carolyn Cissel, Baltimore County-Office of IT
Nathaniel Coley, Maryland Department of Transportation
Jason Cullum, AdvancePCS
Arsenio de Guzman, CSX Technologies
Pat Deaver, CSX Technology
Larry Elmore, Carefirst BlueCross BlueShield
Margaret Engvall, CSX Technology
Hillel Glazer, Entinex, Inc.
Tina Hamilton, FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Denis Hauenstein, Prometric, Inc.,
Douglas Hill, Number Six Software,
Craig Holmes, RDA,
Chris Ketter, AdvancePCS,
Bob Klosowski, Geico Direct,
Julie Lattanze, Lattanze Center
Jackie Knickman, Maryland Department of Transportation/MVA
Kyra Lyles, Prometric, Inc.
Harris Mager, Verizon Communications
Gloria Majewski, Prometric, Inc.
Bob Margenthaler, Lattanze Center,
Fran Martin, Baltimore County Government
Daniel Moore, Sr., Constellation Energy Group
Anastasia Morgan, Carefirst BlueCross BlueShield
Paul Moskowitz, Number Six Software
Sue Phoebus, McCormick & Company
Mark Robertson, NuTec Design
Jay Russell, Stout, Causey & Horning,P.A.
Bruce Stumpp
Robert Sweat, Constellation Energy Group
Vali Tschirgi, FDA Center for Drug Evaluation
Martine Uveges, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute
Ramprasad Venkatraman, AdvancePCS
Chris Wallace, Ajilon Consulting
Richard Webb, Atlantic Financial Federal Credit Union
Sy Weinstock, SRW Uncrackable Encryption
Jamie Welsh
Ed Zarrella, FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Faye Zydalis, Prometric, Inc.
Kay Sherman, Carefirst BlueCross BlueShield
Al Bard, CSX Technologies
Owen Williams, Baltimore Gas & Electric Company
Denise Richards, System Source
Gloria Wren, Loyola College

Chairman Mark Robertson who so kindly gave me the day off to attend the Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National submits the summary notes. This was our first joint meeting held with the Lattanze Center at Loyola College.

Bob Margenthaler opened the meeting with comments about the session and the two types of seminars the Lattanze Center offers. He also talked about the joint venture with the HVBF IS Roundtable to hold 4 joint meetings a year and this was the first one. Asked me to comment.

I spoke briefly about the three different roundtables that we have and what they cover. Gave everyone the web site to find out more information. Invited all to attend one of our meetings.

Julie Lattanze welcomed everyone and commented on what the center was about and introduced the guest speaker, Hillel Glazer from Entinex, Inc.

Hillel's main thrust to everyone, was the big difference between software projects and the rest of the world.

7 out of 10 software solutions fail - to come in on budget; come in on schedule; or deliver the expected project.

Estimates are the Achilles heal, as in the very beginning. people do not really know what it will take to deliver the project, as they are not even sure what they will be delivering.

Managing the estimate is just as key as managing profit.

The process between making the sale and profit is vastly different in the software business.

Hillel asked the audience a couple of questions about the process and many comments, questions and opinions came back to him.

In the final session of the seminar, he covered the major points of a intelligent estimate:

• Requirements Management
• Project Planning
• Project Tracking and oversight
• Subcontract Management
• Quality Assurance
• Configuration Management