The Watts New Collection: Columns by the SEI’s Watts Humphrey
• SEI Report
Publisher
Software Engineering Institute
CMU/SEI Report Number
CMU/SEI-2009-SR-024DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
10.1184/R1/6585317.v1Topic or Tag
Abstract
Since June 1998, Watts Humphrey took readers of news@sei and its predecessor SEI Interactive on a process-improvement journey, step by step, in his column Watts New. The column explored the problem of setting impossible dates for project completion, planning as a team using TSP, the importance of removing software defects, applying discipline to software development, approaching managers about a process improvement effort, and making a persuasive case for implementing it. After 10 years, Watts is taking a well-deserved retirement from writing the quarterly column. But you can still enjoy vintage Watts New columns, including all of the above topics, in the Watts New Collection.
Cite This SEI Report
Humphrey, W. (2009, November 1). The Watts New Collection: Columns by the SEI’s Watts Humphrey. (SEI Report CMU/SEI-2009-SR-024). Retrieved September 12, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6585317.v1.
@techreport{humphrey_2009,
author={Humphrey, Watts},
title={The Watts New Collection: Columns by the SEI’s Watts Humphrey},
month={Nov},
year={2009},
number={{CMU/SEI-2009-SR-024},
institution={Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University},
doi={10.1184/R1/6585317.v1},
url={https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6585317.v1},
note={Accessed: 2026-Sep-12}
}
Humphrey, Watts. "The Watts New Collection: Columns by the SEI’s Watts Humphrey." (CMU/SEI-2009-SR-024). Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, November 1, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6585317.v1.
W. Humphrey, "The Watts New Collection: Columns by the SEI’s Watts Humphrey," Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, SEI Report CMU/SEI-2009-SR-024, 1-Nov-2009 [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6585317.v1. [Accessed: 12-Sep-2026].
Humphrey, Watts. "The Watts New Collection: Columns by the SEI’s Watts Humphrey." (SEI Report CMU/SEI-2009-SR-024). Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute, 1 Nov. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6585317.v1. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.
Humphrey, Watts. The Watts New Collection: Columns by the SEI’s Watts Humphrey. CMU/SEI-2009-SR-024. Software Engineering Institute. 2009. DOI: 10.1184/R1/6585317.v1. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6585317.v1