Marvin Toll's Page

Agile and Beyond 2012 provides an opportunity for teams, developers, testers, business analysts, executives, and managers — from novice to expert — from team to enterprise. Explore the depth and breadth of Agile software development, across all practices and perspectives.Immerse yourself in Agile development techniques, technologies and tools, leadership principles, experience and management. Benefit from lessons learned and explore new ideas.Learn from the finest Agile experts, industry…See More

Do you enjoy learning new things?  Do going to groups that only do presentations leave you wanting for more?  Do you wish there were more groups that provided hands on experience?  Are your Wednesday nights free?  Well, this just might be the group you are looking for! Following the lead of such groups as Code Retreats and the Craftsmanship Guild, a new group has started up in Farmington…See More

The most important thing about the April MAE Meeting is we will be trying out a new format! About the format6:00 - 6:15 PM  Lighting Talks6:15 - 7:00 PM  Presentation7:00 - 7:10 PM  Break7:10 - 8:00 PM  Fishbowl The new format is meant to create more discussion.  Specifically:Lighting talks will give people a 3-5 minute forum to speak about something that they are passionate about.Fishbowl will allow all meeting attendees to discuss the presentation more in depth.Because we are changing the…See More

The not-for-profit 'Agile and Beyond' conference will be held in Dearborn, MI on Saturday, March 12th, 2011 with opening keynote speaker Mary Poppendieck and David Hussman providing the closing.Don't miss this Amazing Regional Conference including Amazing Regional Presenters!See More

User experience is coming to the MAE! Kim Callery (from Cengage Learning) will help us take a look at users through the use of personas. We will discuss the creation, application, and use of the personas throughout the development process of a product. Bio:Kim Callery is a User Experience Specialist at Cengage Learning. She has a BFA in Animation & Digital Media from College for Creative Studies. Also, an MA in Interactive Design & Game Development and is in the process of her MFA in…See More

As an Agile Leader, you spend much of your time teaching, coaching, and presenting your ideas.  Now it is time to put the coaches in the hot seat and ask them the questions. Here is part of the game board...Agile Manifesto      Acronyms            100 Points              100 Points  200 Points              200 Points  300 Points              300 Points  400 Points              400 Points  500 Points              500 PointsWe hope this is a fun way to transfer some knowledge (and come with your…See More

It is my observation that there are two approaches to Opera design.  Typically, a composer partners with a librettist and seeks to tell a story through well-conceived music, song and theater.  Implementation requires assembling a capable 'cast' of singers, musicians, stage hands etc. etc. to tell the story effectively.A second approach is emergent.  A set of auditions are held, sort of like American Idol, and from this disparate group a story emerges... sort of.The patterns seem to hold true…See More

Systems are not developed to serve the users or managers. They exist to produce business value. You thus need an approach that keeps business value front and center in everyone's mind. This is where a Value Centered Design approach comes into play. Value Centered Design includes:* Value Modeling* Value Story Elicitation* Value Centric Project ExecutionAbout Matt VanVleet:Matt VanVleet joined Pillar in 2005 as Vice President of Fulfillment for the Ohio Valley Region after years of notable…See More

Wasteful AgileAgile is considered by many to be the best way to deliver working software. Agile's emphasis on delivering software in small increments, team collaboration, and constant prioritization help teams deliver value to customers quickly. And yet when you observe most Agile teams from a Lean perspective it is very easy to see numerous areas of waste. In this presentation, Cheezy will allow us to peer through his Lean microscope. As he takes us through a thorough and entertaining…See More

We are discovering ways to 'come alongside' the 'Agile' movement while avoiding being a distraction to those that are able to enjoy the advantages of working in a face-to-face co-located team of craftsmen. If interested in joining the discussion, an 'ELIGA' Group has been established on LinkedIn. _Marvin ( MarvinToll@gtcGroup.com ) See More

RSVPs: Register at https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dG9vaFByX19faVVwVVFXUDMtekRZOFE6MAMore info at http://www.softwaregr.orgThe bad news is being a commodity IT person means your job or skills are ever closer to being outsourced or automated. The good news is social media and the web as it’s own economy, society and culture have reached the…See More