Watts Humphrey
Encyclopedia
Watts S. Humphrey was an American software engineer
, key thinker in the discipline of software engineering
, and was often called the "Father of Software quality
".
from the University of Chicago
, a master of science in physics from Illinois Institute of Technology
, and a master of business administration from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
In the late 1960s, Humphrey headed the IBM software team that introduced the first software license. Humphrey was previously a Vice President at IBM
.
Humphrey was a Fellow of the Software Engineering Institute
(SEI) and of the Association for Computing Machinery
(2008). Humphrey received an Honorary Doctor of Software Engineering from the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. In 2003, Watts Humphrey was awarded the National Medal of Technology
. The Watts Humphrey Software Quality Institute in Chennai
, India
is named after him.
(SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University
Humphrey founded the Software Process Program, and served as director of that program from 1986 until the early 1990s. This program was aimed at understanding and managing the software engineering process because this is where big and small organizations or individuals encounter the most serious difficulties and where, thereafter, lies the best opportunity for significant improvement.
The program resulted in the development of the Capability Maturity Model
, published in 1989 in Humphrey's "Managing the Software Process" and inspired the later development of the Personal Software Process
(PSP) and the Team Software Process
(TSP). His personal goal in these developments remained to "improve quality and productivity in software development and to ease what was called the 'Software Crisis'."
Software engineer
A software engineer is an engineer who applies the principles of software engineering to the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the software and systems that make computers or anything containing software, such as computer chips, work.- Overview :...
, key thinker in the discipline of software engineering
Software engineering
Software Engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these approaches; that is, the application of engineering to software...
, and was often called the "Father of Software quality
Software quality
In the context of software engineering, software quality refers to two related but distinct notions that exist wherever quality is defined in a business context:...
".
Biography
Watts Humphrey received a bachelor of science in physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, a master of science in physics from Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
, and a master of business administration from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
In the late 1960s, Humphrey headed the IBM software team that introduced the first software license. Humphrey was previously a Vice President at IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
.
Humphrey was a Fellow of the Software Engineering Institute
Software Engineering Institute
The Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute is a federally funded research and development center headquartered on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. SEI also has offices in Arlington, Virginia, and Frankfurt, Germany. The SEI operates...
(SEI) and of the Association for Computing Machinery
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
(2008). Humphrey received an Honorary Doctor of Software Engineering from the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. In 2003, Watts Humphrey was awarded the National Medal of Technology
National Medal of Technology
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is an honor granted by the President of the United States to American inventors and innovators who have made significant contributions to the development of new and important technology...
. The Watts Humphrey Software Quality Institute in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
is named after him.
Software Engineering Institute
In the 1980s at the Software Engineering InstituteSoftware Engineering Institute
The Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute is a federally funded research and development center headquartered on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. SEI also has offices in Arlington, Virginia, and Frankfurt, Germany. The SEI operates...
(SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
Humphrey founded the Software Process Program, and served as director of that program from 1986 until the early 1990s. This program was aimed at understanding and managing the software engineering process because this is where big and small organizations or individuals encounter the most serious difficulties and where, thereafter, lies the best opportunity for significant improvement.
The program resulted in the development of the Capability Maturity Model
Capability Maturity Model
The Capability Maturity Model is a development model that was created after study of data collected from organizations that contracted with the U.S. Department of Defense, who funded the research. This model became the foundation from which CMU created the Software Engineering Institute...
, published in 1989 in Humphrey's "Managing the Software Process" and inspired the later development of the Personal Software Process
Personal Software Process
The Personal Software Process is a structured software development process that is intended to help software engineers understand and improve their performance, by using a "disciplined, data-driven procedure"...
(PSP) and the Team Software Process
Team Software Process
In combination with the Personal Software Process , the Team Software Process provides a defined operational process framework that is designed to help teams of managers and engineers organize projects and produce software products that range in size of sizes beyond from small projects of several...
(TSP). His personal goal in these developments remained to "improve quality and productivity in software development and to ease what was called the 'Software Crisis'."
See also
- Personal Software ProcessPersonal Software ProcessThe Personal Software Process is a structured software development process that is intended to help software engineers understand and improve their performance, by using a "disciplined, data-driven procedure"...
(PSP) - Software qualitySoftware qualityIn the context of software engineering, software quality refers to two related but distinct notions that exist wherever quality is defined in a business context:...
- Team Software ProcessTeam Software ProcessIn combination with the Personal Software Process , the Team Software Process provides a defined operational process framework that is designed to help teams of managers and engineers organize projects and produce software products that range in size of sizes beyond from small projects of several...
(TSP)
Publications
Humphrey is the author of several books, including- 2011. Leadership, Teamwork, and Trust: Building a Competitive Software Capability. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
- 2010. Reflections on Management: How to Manage Your Software Projects, Your Teams, Your Boss, and Yourself. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
- 2006. TSP, Coaching Development Teams. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
- 2006. TSP, Leading a Development Team. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
- 2005. PSP, A Self-Improvement Process for Software Engineers. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
- 2001. Winning with Software: An Executive Strategy. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
- 1999. Introduction to the Team Software Process. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
- 1997. Managing Technical People - Innovation, Teamwork and Software Process. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
- 1995. A Discipline for Software Engineering. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.