Our Team

Larry Putnam, Sr., Founder and President

As a pioneer and top problem solver in the software estimation and measurement field, Larry founded Quantitative Software Management (QSM), Inc. and has been President since 1978. Larry broke new ground in software estimation and measurement by developing SLIM (Software Life-Cycle Management), a suite of measurement tools for software development. He has been refining and expanding its capabilities ever since. SLIM is widely used throughout the government and private industry in the United States and abroad. Larry has worked on software cost estimating projects for government agencies that include the Department of Defense, US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, Department of Labor, General Accounting Office, U.S. Postal Service, National Archives and Records Agency, FAA and NASA. He has also performed work for domestic and international clients, including Computer Sciences Corporation, Lockheed Martin Co., IBM, British Telecom, Electronic Data Systems, and Motorola. Larry possesses a keen understanding of the needs of QSM’s military clients, having served more than 25 years as an Army Officer. He retired with the rank of Colonel. Larry is the first recipient of the Freiman award, the highest-level award given by the International Society of Parametric Analysts. He has published five books including, Five Core Metrics: The Intelligence Behind Successful Software Management, and has written numerous articles for various publications. Larry is sought internationally as a speaker and management consultant. For the past 30 years, he has been teaching public seminars in software cost estimating throughout the United States, Western Europe, Japan and Australia.

Douglas T. Putnam, Co-Chief Executive Officer

As a Managing Partner for QSM, Doug has 28 years of experience in the software measurement field and is considered a pioneer in the development of this industry. Doug has been instrumental in directing the development of the SLIM Suite of software estimation and measurement tools, and he has trained more than 1,000 software professionals in the use of the SLIM Suite. Doug’s responsibilities at QSM include managing the delivery of QSM software measurement services, defining requirements for the SLIM Product Suite, and overseeing the research activities derived from the QSM project history repository. He has performed work for clients that include the New York Stock Exchange, Honeywell, General Motors, and Bank of America. Doug is also a sought-after international author and speaker. He has published numerous articles and white papers and delivered more than 45 speeches on software estimation and measurement. Doug has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hobart College.

Lauren Thayer, Co-Chief Executive Officer

Lauren has more than 30 years of experience in software development, 27 of which have been spent working with QSM as a software developer and manager of QSM’s SLIM Tools Suite. Lauren’s primary responsibilities include requirements analysis, design, quality assurance, documentation review, software publishing, planning, estimating and managing QSM development projects. Lauren also manages the QSM software development team, coordinates new client requirement requests, and defect reports with the development team to ensure requirements are incorporated into future tool releases. Lauren has participated in research studies of the QSM Database of more than 7,000 projects that lead to new and refined algorithms in the QSM-Tools Suite. Lauren has a bachelor’s degree in Business-Government from Skidmore College, where she was an honor student.

Lawrence H. Putnam, Jr., Co-Chief Executive Officer

Larry has 21 years of experience using the Putnam-SLIM Methodology. He has participated in more than 80 estimation and oversight service engagements, and is responsible for product management of the SLIM-Suite of measurement tools and customer care programs. Since becoming the Managing Partner of Products and Customer Care, Larry has developed a new customer care program that has increased customer satisfaction levels by 50 percent and increased client license renewals by 46 percent. Larry is a member of and active participant in numerous organizations, including the Quality Assurance Institute, Software Program Managers Network, International Function Point Users Group, and International Society of Parametric Analysts. Larry has delivered more than 27 speeches at conferences on software estimation and measurement, and has trained – over a five-year period – more than 1,000 software professionals in the use of the SLIM-Suite.

Keith Ciocco, Vice President of Sales

As Vice President of Sales, Keith has more than 20 years of experience working in sales and customer service, with 12 of those years spent at QSM. Keith’s primary responsibilities include managing business development, existing client relations, customer retention, and response. Keith has developed and directed the implementation of the existing sales process within QSM and has played a leading role in increasing the size of QSM’s customer base. Since he started with QSM, the company has experienced a growth rate of more than 100 percent.

Donald M. Beckett, Certified Software Measurement Specialist (CSMS) and Certified Function Point Specialist (CFPS)

Donald Beckett has more than 15 years of experience in software process improvement, software metrics, and productivity and quality analysis. His responsibilities at QSM include conducting training on the use of QSM software tools, consulting to QSM clients, customer support, research, function point analysis, and estimating. Don is a respected presenter and published coauthor of the book, IT Measurement: Practical Advice from the Experts. He is also a Certified Software Measurement Specialist and Certified Function Point Specialist. Don has helped many organizations tie their process improvement efforts to measurable gains in productivity, quality and predictability. Don comes to QSM with an extensive background with EDS, Inc., where he designed and developed the company’s first project metrics database. His work there also includes extensive baselining, outsourcing and marketing support, and he has completed more than 1,500 SLIM estimates since 1996. Don speaks Spanish fluently and can conduct business in that language.

Joseph A. Madden, PMP, Vice President of Professional Services

Joe Madden currently leads the QSM consulting division which offers services in software estimation, function point analysis, IT program and project management, independent verification and validation (IV&V), process improvement, benchmarking, research, SLIM API programming, and outsourcing. A longtime client of the QSM SLIM Tools Suite and co-author of the book, IT Measurement: Practical Advice from the Experts, Joe has more than 17 years of experience in management and IT consulting. This includes more than six years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and 10 years with consulting firms KPMG and BearingPoint. At those firms, he led many high-visibility projects and played a key role in successful SW-CMM and CMMI process improvement efforts. Joe holds a M.S. in Software Systems Engineering from George Mason University, a B.S. in Computer Science from Marquette University, and is a graduate of the Yale School of Management Strategic Leadership Workshop.

Kate Armel, Customer Support Manager

Kate Armel has 14 years of experience in customer service, 9 of which have been at QSM. In addition to her work in technical and consultative customer support in software estimation, tracking and benchmarking, she is responsible for collection and validation of data for the QSM database, trend line analysis and production, as well as web site design, maintenance and development. She has also been the primary technical writer for the software documentation (print manuals and online help) for the SLIM Suite and the Express Suite of applications. In 2006 Ms. Armel served as Editor-in-Chief and was one of three researchers and co-authors of the QSM Software Almanac.