Like other engineers, software developers transform ideas into usable products. Unlike other engineers, they create a product that is inherently invisible, not completely testable and often transitional. Moreover, a software product in an interim development stage is often unusable, producing free-floating anxiety in developers and users alike.

Behavioral science tells us that invisibility and the effect of "all or nothing" are psychological factors that negatively affect developer effectiveness. Mundane tasks, such as repeated testing, often result in frustration, while the transitional nature of software creates a false notion that the defects can always be removed in the future. Moreover, there is growing realization that we humans are incapable of fully applying and maintaining our own best practices.

Based on aforementioned factors and the concepts described in the recently published book, the co-authors, Huizinga and Kolawa, will explain how to establish an automated technology infrastructure that supports effective software development. This infrastructure defines people roles, necessary technology, and interactions between people and technology. This infrastructure provides product visibility, automates repetitive tasks, tracks project status, and seamlessly collects project data to provide measures necessary for decision-making. This infrastructure forms a software production line, thereby putting the engineering into software engineering. Most of all, by putting the engineering into software engineering this infrastructure sustains and facilitates the improvement of human-defined processes.

Biographies:

Dr. Dorota Huizinga is the Associate Dean for the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Professor of Computer Science at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). She is the recipient of several CSUF outstanding faculty recognitions in the areas of scholarly and creative activities, teaching and service. Her publication record spans a wide range of computer science disciplines and her research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, California State University System, and by private industry.

Recently, Dorota wrote a proposal and lead the efforts in the implementation and WASC (The Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation of the online, professional degree program Master of Science in Software Engineering. In her spare time she enjoys volunteering as a Website coordinator in the local chapter of National Charity League, helping with her daughter's Junior Girl Scout troop and playing tennis.

Dr. Adam Kolawa, co-founder and CEO of Parasoft, is considered to be a visionary in his field. In 1983, he came to the United States from Poland to pursue his Ph.D. In 1987, he and a group of fellow graduate students founded Parasoft to create value-added products that could significantly improve the software development process. a leading provider of Automated Error Prevention (AEP) software solutions. Kolawa's years of experience with various software development processes has resulted in his unique insight into the high-tech industry and the uncanny ability to successfully identify technology trends. As a result, he has orchestrated the development of several successful commercial software products to meet growing industry needs to improve software quality - often before the trends have been widely accepted. Kolawa, co-author of Bulletproofing Web Applications (Hungry Minds 2001), has contributed to and written over 100 commentary pieces and technical articles for publications such as The Wall Street Journal, CIO, Computerworld, Dr. Dobb's Journal, and IEEE Computer; he has also authored numerous scientific papers on physics and parallel processing. His recent media engagements include CNN, CNBC, BBC, and NPR. Kolawa holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the California Institute of Technology, and has been granted ten patents for his recent inventions. In 2001, Kolawa was awarded the Los Angeles Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the software category.