2020 Professional Development & Training Workshop

With long faces and heavy hearts, ICEAA has made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 Professional Development & Training Workshop.  While the Workshop as we know it won’t take place in 2020, we will be exploring hosting smaller local events later in the year, lending more support to our international events, and hosting more webinars. Look forward to details and information on those events in the coming weeks and months.

• All registration fees will be granted a full refund.
• Registration cancellations and refunds are being processed and should appear on credit card statements within 10 business days.
• ICEAA is not sending cancellation confirmations or refund notifications. If you require a confirmation for your records, email iceaa@iceaaonline.org and we can provide one for you
• Attendees who have made hotel reservations are responsible for canceling your reservations with your hotel of choice.

Contact us with questions or comments, and we look forward to seeing you in 2021 in Minneapolis!

Thanks to our 2020 sponsors for their support:

For reservations made at our host hotel, please cancel your room by contacting:

Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk
123 Losoya Street
San Antonio, Texas 78205
1-210-222-1234

2020 Best Paper Winners

Each webinar attended earns 0.1 points towards CCEA recertification.

 

Analytical Methods & Strategies Category Winner

In Search of the Production Steady State: Mission Impossible?
Patrick McCarthy
PDF Paper Download – In Search of the Production Steady State: Mission Impossible?
Presentation Slides Download

Learning Curves are a vital tool for cost estimators when predicting the number of direct labor hours required for a production run. One challenge of utilizing learning curves is predicting when no additional improvement can be expected, otherwise known as the steady state of the production run. This paper addresses different variables to consider when analyzing data to determine when improvement is likely to cease and the steady state of the production run will commence.

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Data Management & Machine Learning Category Winner

Leveraging the Wisdom of Crowds in Estimating Army SW Sustainment
Christian Smart
Cheryl Jones
Kimberly Roye
PDF Paper Download – Leveraging the Wisdom of Crowds in Estimating Army SW Sustainment
Presentation Slides Download

The use of modern regression and machine learning techniques can improve predictive accuracy compared to traditional log-transformed ordinary least squares, as well as resolving issues with bias and transformation. The combination of multiple models in an ensemble and cross-validation can further increase accuracy. These techniques are discussed in detail and are applied to an extensive set of software sustainment data for 192 Army systems. Results include models based on release type, software changes, and categories.

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Processes & Best Practices Category Winner

13 Reasons a Cost Estimate During a Concurrent Engineering Study Could Go Wrong
Andy Braukhane
Webinar Presentation: Wednesday June 3, 2020 at 12:00pm EST
PDF Paper Download – 13 Reasons a Cost Estimate During a Concurrent Engineering Study Could Go Wrong
Presentation Slides Download

During early phase spacecraft design, the concurrent engineering (CE) approach is proven to be very efficient. But the condensed and iterative nature of CE sessions can also make life hard for a cost estimator. This work discusses 13 problem areas experienced or observed mainly during one-week, inter-disciplinary space system design studies and provides practical examples on how to tackle them, e.g. how to handle rapid data changes, wrong expectations and a diverse engineering team.

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Software & Agile Category Winner

But Wait, There’s More! Using SFPA for Your Cost, Schedule & Performance Needs
Katharine Mann
Ryan Hoang
Webinar Presentation: Thursday June 11, 2020 at 12:00pm EST
PDF Paper Download – But Wait, There’s More! Using SFPA for Your Cost, Schedule & Performance Needs
Presentation Slides Download

Do you need to estimate software size? Do you want to add value to your program beyond the LCCE? Simple Function Point Analysis (SFPA) can help! We discuss how analysts can engage Program Managers to use SFPA not just for cost estimating, but for scheduling and progress tracking of software development programs. Real DHS Programs and Policies are used to illustrate the benefits of Simple Function Points to the entire organization.

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Modeling Category and Best Paper Overall Winner

Augustine’s Law: Are We Really Headed for the $800 Billion-Dollar Fighter?
Brent M. Johnstone
Webinar Presentation: Tuesday June 16, 2020 at 12:00pm EST
PDF Paper Download – Augustine’s Law: Are We Really Headed for the $800 Billion-Dollar Fighter?
Presentation Slides Download

Augustine’s Law famously proposed fighter aircraft costs are growing so rapidly that by 2054 buying a single tactical aircraft will consume the entire defense budget. Is the situation really so dire? This paper examines the trend in U.S. fighter costs and relates them to generational changes in aircraft design and manufacture. It also examines the new jet fighters of the 2000s to see if Augustine’s Law is really unfolding as its author originally thought.