Focus on What Matters Most: How to Improve Software Quality AND Work-Life Balance
10:30 - 11:30 Great Hall 3
Imagine being five years into a software project that was only supposed to take two. You're constantly stuck in crunch mode and under pressure, overwhelmed by unexpected defects,missed deadlines, and escalating costs. Your team is burned out, morale is low, and every dayfeels like firefighting. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In this engaging and pragmatic session, we’ll share the story of one company that found itself inthis exact situation—a software project that was years behind schedule and millions overbudget, with no end in sight. The key to turning things around? They committed to a proven 5-step process that enabled them to focus on what matters most.The company started by using five key performance indicators to gain visibility into their currentstate. With those insights, they then identified root causes, prioritized the most critical fixes, andmade data-driven improvements. By creating a culture of continuous measurement andfeedback, they shifted from chaos to control. The outcome: faster delivery, fewer defects, and ahealthier, more sustainable work environment. The team could finally breathe again—withoutsacrificing nights and weekends. At the end of this session, you’ll walk away with practical tools, actionable insights, and a clearpath to improving your own software delivery process, so you too can focus on what mattersmost—both at work AND home. Here’s the 5-step approach we’ll cover: 1. Understand the core principles of effective software development 2. Measure where you are today 3. Identify the root causes of your challenges 4. Fix the most critical issues first 5. Continuously measure, learn, and improve Join us to discover how these steps can help you deliver better software faster—while reducing stress, improving team morale, and achieving a better work-life balance.
Jeff Van Fleet
Co-author of The Coach and the Geek: Building a Kick Butt Culture. After spending over 20 years managing, developing, and deploying complex software/hardware systems for both commercial and Department of Defense (DoD) applications, Jeff founded Lighthouse in 2000 with the aim of establishing a company whose customer service was only eclipsed by the quality of its work. Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of motivational leadership tactics and a wealth of expertise in software quality assurance (QA) processes and technical leadership, he’s both a hands-on company leader and the primary architect of Lighthouse’s celebrated workplace culture. When not at work, Jeff loves spending time with his family, baking bread, cheering for Penn State, and hiking.