4134 BA courses in Cardiff delivered Live Online

Introduction to Design Thinking: Virtual In-House Training Innovation is the cornerstone of highly successful companies, especially those that continue to be successful over the years and decades. Design thinking practices fuel this continual innovation, as they are the critical links from inspiration to delivery, concept to showroom floor, and start-up to global business. Design thinking is a structured approach to promoting innovation and creative problem-solving. It is not a new approach. It has been around for centuries, as the art, architecture, and inventions of mankind illustrate. By examining the steps to achieving great design and maximum utility of product, design thinking approaches provide a framework in which to develop new solutions to problems and new products to sell. This highly interactive course is designed to help participants think like designers to generate innovation, and to help teams to produce more innovation and creativity. Since design thinking is based on doing rather than thinking, we participants are challenged to apply the techniques, in the classroom, to create new ideas and solutions to a case study project. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Explain the underlying principles and value of using Design Thinking for innovation Describe the basic concepts of the Stanford Model for Design Thinking Evaluate a set of basic Design Thinking techniques for application to your projects Apply tools, techniques, and skills aligned with the 5 stages of the Stanford Model Drive innovation through Design Thinking at some level in your work environment Foundation Concepts Problems and solutions The Design Thinking difference Design Thinking skills and abilities Design Thinking mindset Design Thinking frameworks Stages of Design Thinking Problems and solutions The Design Thinking difference Design Thinking skills and abilities Design Thinking mindset Design Thinking frameworks General Practices Team formation Visualization Improvisation Personalization Empathize Practices Overview of Empathize techniques Observation Engagement Interviews Define Practices Overview of Define practices Unpacking techniques Defining the customer techniques Integrating the Define experience Ideate Practices Overview of Ideate practices Reusable techniques for the Ideate stage New Ideate techniques to explore Prototype & Test Practices Overview of Prototype practices Examples of prototypes Overview of Testing practices Forms of testing techniques Adopt and Adapt Design Thinking Overview of Design Thinking implementation Design Thinking implementation challenges Success in implementing Design Thinking Summary and Next Steps Workshop summary Next steps: Personal Action Plans

Business Intelligence: Virtual In-House Training Business Intelligence (BI) refers to a set of technology-based techniques, applications, and practices used to aggregate, analyze, and present business data. BI practices provide historical and current views of vast amounts of data and generate predictions for business operations. The purpose of Business Intelligence is the support of better business decision making. This course provides an overview of the technology and application of BI and how it can be used to improve corporate performance. What you will Learn You will learn how to: Specify a data warehouse schema Identify the data and visualization to be used for data mining and Business Intelligence Design a Business Intelligence user interface Getting Started Introductions Agenda Expectations Foundation Concepts The challenge of decision making What is Business Intelligence? The Business Intelligence value proposition Business Intelligence taxonomy Business Intelligence management issues Sources of Business Intelligence Data warehousing Data and information Information architecture Defining the data warehouse and its relationships Facts and dimensions Modeling, meta-modeling, and schemas Alternate architectures Building the data warehouse Extracting Transforming Loading Setting up the data and relationships Dimensions and the Fact Table Implementing many-to-many relationships in data warehouse Data marts Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) What is OLAP? OLAP and OLTP OLAP functionality Multi-dimensions Thinking in more than two dimensions What are the possibilities? OLAP architecture Cubism Tools OLAP variations - MOLAP, ROLAP, HOLAP BI using SOA Applications of Business Intelligence Applying BI through OLAP Enterprise Resource Planning and CRM Business Intelligence and financial information Business Intelligence User Interfaces and Presentations Data access Push-pull data access Types of decision support systems Designing the front end Presentation formats Dashboards Types of dashboards Common dashboard features Briefing books and scorecards Querying and Reporting Reporting emphasis Retrofitting Talking back Key Performance Indicators Report Definition and Visualization Typical reporting environment Forms of visualization Unconstrained views Data mining What is in the mine? Applications for data mining Data mining architecture Cross Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CISP-DM) Data mining techniques Validation The Business Intelligence User Experience The business analyst role Business analysis and data analysis Five-step approach Cultural impact Identifying questions Gathering information Understand the goals The strategic Business Intelligence cycle Focus of Business Intelligence Design for the user Iterate the access Iterative solution development process Review and validation questions Basic approaches Building ad-hoc queries Building on-demand self-service reports Closed loop Business Intelligence Coming attractions - future of Business Intelligence Best practices in Business Intelligence

Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Program: Virtual In-House Training This course is designed to instill an in-depth understanding of Lean Six Sigma and a clear sense of what is required to define high-impact improvement projects, establish Lean Six Sigma measurements, and complete Lean Six Sigma projects using the systematic and proven Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) methodology. This course is designed to instill an in-depth understanding of Lean Six Sigma and a clear sense of what is required to define high-impact improvement projects, establish Lean Six Sigma measurements, and complete Lean Six Sigma projects using the systematic and proven Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) methodology. Participants will learn basic tools and techniques of Lean Six Sigma and those who pass a thirty-question exam (70% or above) will become a Certified Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt. This course is delivered through four 3-hour online sessions. What you Will Learn You'll learn how to: Establish the structure that supports and sustains Lean Six Sigma Quality Identify and calculate key Lean Six Sigma Measurements (Sigma, DPMO, and Yield) Select successful, high-impact projects that match strategic objectives Document, measure, and improve key processes using the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) Methodology Utilize data-based thinking to make key business decisions Introduction to the Fundamentals and Vision of Lean Six Sigma Lean Six Sigma's focus on the customer, on quality, and on results The costs of poor quality Critical factors to consider when deploying Lean Six Sigma Lean Six Sigma as a process improvement methodology Lean Six Sigma metrics Why do it - ROI and payback for Lean Six Sigma Business Process Management Critical Lean Six Sigma roles and responsibilities Main aspects of managing the organizational change Project selection Metrics of Lean Six Sigma and the DMAIC Model How to strategically align business metrics and projects within an organization How to identify and measure quality characteristics which are critical to customers What does the customer (internal or external) really want from our products and services? Establishing appropriate teams and setting those teams up to be successful What defines a good measurement system? How are we doing (learning the secret to measuring the right things, right)? How to improve output measures by understanding and measuring the process Where are there defects (how to properly select and scope high-impact projects)? Where is the process broken (the Lean Six Sigma version of root cause analysis)? How to determine the process efficiency, or value add, of a process The appropriate use of quality tools Understanding the concept of variation and how to reduce knee-jerk reactions How to achieve breakthrough results for any key measure How can we ensure the identified improvements will be sustainable (the basics of process control)?

Risk Management for IT Projects: Virtual In-House Training IT projects may have direct bottom-line impact on the organization, cost millions of dollars, cause organizational change and change the way the organization is perceived by clients. Many IT projects are notoriously hard to predict and are filled with risk. IT Risk Management takes a comprehensive look at IT project risk management using PMI's PMBOK® Guide Risk Management Model in the context of IT Project Life Cycle phases. The goal of this course is to arm the practitioner with a rigorous, common-sense approach to addressing uncertainty in projects. This approach includes the ability to influence project outcomes, avoid many potential project risks, and be ready to calmly and efficiently respond to unavoidable challenges. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Describe the risk management process, using the PMBOK® Guide's standard models and terminology Discuss the potential barriers to managing risk effectively in IT project organizations Develop an effective risk management plan for IT projects Identify project risks using IT-specific, practical tools Analyze individual risk events and overall project risk using IT-specific, practical approaches Plan effective responses to IT-specific risk based on the results of risk analysis and integrate risk responses into project schedules and cost estimates Manage and control risk throughout the IT project life cycle Implement selected elements of IT project risk management on your next project Foundation Concepts Basic concepts and purpose Risk and project constraints Risk and corporate cultures Risk management and IT PLC standards Plan Risk Management for IT Projects Plan Risk management process Plan Risk management activities Design a standard template Assess the project-specific needs Tailor the template Produce a project-specific risk management plan Gain consensus and submit as part of overall project plan A risk management plan of IT projects Identify Risks for IT Projects Identify risk process overview Risk categories and examples Risk identification tools Risk events by project life-cycle phases Perform Risk Analysis for IT Projects Perform qualitative risk analysis overview Core qualitative tools for IT projects Auxiliary qualitative tools for cost and schedule estimates When to use quantitative analysis for IT projects Plan Risk Response for IT Projects Plan risk response overview Active risk response strategies for IT projects (Threat and Opportunity) Acceptance and contingency reserves Contingency planning for IT projects Plan risk responses for IT projects Implement Risk Response for IT Projects Implement Risk Responses Executing Risk Response Plans Techniques and Tools Used Continuous Risk Management Monitor Risks for IT Projects Monitor risks overview Monitor risks tips for IT projects Technical performance measurement systems Risk management implementation for IT projects

Building High-Performance Teams: Virtual In-House Training This course pulls together the most current and popular theories and writings on this complex topic and presents this amalgamated view in a highly interactive workshop and activity-based approach. Students will understand and have the skills required to build and participate in high-performance project teams and will possess the insight to proactively affect change within their respective organizations by guiding the existing culture to one that promotes high performance. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Define a team and describe the optimum team size for effective performance Describe characteristics and guiding behaviors of high-performance teams Describe the major elements of each development stage in two distinct models Recognize cultural barriers in achieving high performance List the attributes of a high-performing corporate culture Assess your own corporate culture Discuss corporate leadership as a factor in building high-performance project teams Describe the three A's of selecting team members State three leadership responsibilities Describe leadership responsibilities, styles, and roles List and describe the eight components of the team charter model for building high-performance teams Foundation Concepts The Nature of Teams Characteristics of High-Performance Teams Understanding Team Development Stages of Team Development - Model 1 Stages of Team Development - Model 2 Designing a High-Performance Culture Corporate Cultures Corporate Leadership Establishing the Attributes of High Performance Choosing the Right People Team Effectiveness Team Leadership The Team Charter Model

Managing Complex Projects: Virtual In-House Training As knowledge and technology expand exponentially, organizations are finding that the tools, processes, and methods used to select, plan, and manage their projects are insufficient for the challenges posed by them. The goal of this course is to provide participants with a working knowledge of project complexities and a framework for managing the ambiguities involved in today's fast-changing, competitive, and technology-based environment As knowledge and technology expand exponentially, organizations are finding that the tools, processes, and methods used to select, plan, and manage their projects are insufficient for the challenges posed by them. Complex projects don't necessarily follow the rules of traditional projects - in many instances the projects' end-products, and the methods by which they will be produced, are not easily defined. Stakeholder diversity and geographical dispersion contribute to the difficulties project managers face in their efforts to gain acceptance of project goals, objectives, and changes. Additionally, hierarchic leadership styles, traditional lifecycle approaches, and traditional project manager competencies may no longer maximize the efficiencies that need to be realized on complex projects. The goal of this course is to provide participants with a working knowledge of project complexities and a framework for managing the ambiguities involved in today's fast-changing, competitive, and technology-based environments. What you Will Learn The learning objectives of this workshop are to enable participants to: Appreciate complexity and its impact on the management of projects Describe the differences among traditional, complicated, and complex projects Explain the effects of complexity on the PMBOK® Guide's process groups Apply a high-level model in the management of real- world projects Complexity and Projects Some characteristics of complex systems Important models/characteristics of complex projects Major players in project complexity Landscapes and project typologies A supplemental framework for complex projects Framing Framing overview Potential pitfalls in framing complex projects Possible solutions Inception Centrality of risk management PM competencies, selection Stakeholder identification, analysis Blueprint Collaborative planning Stakeholder engagements Alternative methodologies/life cycles Collaborative scheduling Procurement management Oversight, Navigation, and Adjustment Leadership and the project team Stakeholder management Networks Close and Continuous Improvement Transition/support Post-project evaluations Rewards/Recognition

Recovering Troubled Projects: Virtual In-House Training Despite our best intentions, many of the projects that organizations undertake either don't achieve their intended business results or end in complete failure. Most seasoned project managers have had their share of experiences with difficult or troubled projects and unless they are careful, they will encounter more. This workshop does not focus on 'failed' projects but rather on those projects which without appropriate intervention would be headed for failure. Failed projects are those beyond help and which should be terminated. Here we focus on projects that are salvageable. It is an exercise-driven, no-nonsense, professional practice-focused workshop positioning the participant to immediately apply the tools and lessons learned in the classroom. The workshop employs the use of both illustrative and practical/working case studies. Illustrative case studies will examine insights from real-world troubled projects. Participants will be asked to bring descriptions of their own examples of troubled projects on which they're currently working or on which they have worked in the past. A number of these will be used as the basis for the practical/working case studies. The approach builds on and complements the disciplines addressed in Project Management Institute's PMBOK® Guide and also addresses issues that arise when managing projects in a complex environment. What You Will Learn You will learn to: Recognize the value of a structured project recovery process Explain the reasons most projects fail Analyze the causes of a project's troubles Construct a negotiation process to use with key stakeholders Apply an effective strategy to planning the recovery effort Manage, evaluate, and adjust the ongoing recovery effort Foundation Concepts Recognizing a troubled project Defining the project recovery process The Reasons Projects Fail Putting failure in perspective Reviewing management issues Analyzing planning issues Exploring complexity issues Assess the Project Stabilizing the project Determining preliminary Go / No-Go Conducting a detailed recovery assessment Negotiate the Recovery Reviewing the basics of negotiation Setting reasonable expectations Obtaining appropriate PM authority Securing key stakeholder support Plan the Recovery Planning for recoveries Rebuilding the project team Reshaping the project plan Managing parallel activities Planning for change management Implement and Adjust the Project Implementing project recoveries Facilitating change Enabling continuous learning Fostering the project team Sustaining stakeholder engagement

Project Accounting and Finance Skills: Virtual In-House Training Do you manage both project schedules and budgets, but do not have insight into how actual results relate to the approved budget? Do you desire to have more clarity about the relationship between your project's performance with the accounting and financial systems in your organization? Do you need to understand financial and accounting terminology to bridge the gap between the 'world of finance' and the 'world of project management? Organizations have a need to manage-by-projects, because projects are the means to deliver on strategic goals and objectives. Therefore, the project manager must have an understanding of the financial world of investments to ensure the organization will realize expected business value. This requires a foundation in the principles of accounting and finance to comprehend how the project's contribution provides an organization with a competitive advantage. Learn what you must do to give your organization the assurance it needs that its investment in your project will realize business value. Learn what you must do to give your organization the assurance it needs to know that its investment in your project will realize business value. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Explain the aspects of classical corporate accounting and finance effects on managing projects Determine how your project fits into the corporate income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement Analyze the financial aspects of managing projects Use earned value management as the basis for decision making throughout the project life Recognize the importance of the project manager's financial responsibilities Focus on what PMs do and should be doing, in support of accounting and finance Use financial information within a project environment to meet financial results Track and analyze the project's financial status and forecast with the goal of realizing benefits Generate work performance data to ensure a project's outcome aligns with financial metrics Foundation Concepts Accounting and Finance Terms and Concepts Accounting and Finance Essentials Financial Terms and Concepts Projects as Financial Investments Overview of 'Two Worlds' Project as Investments Accounting and Finance World: Standards, Principles and Practices Accounting and Finance Standards and Principles Accounting and Finance Practices Capital Budgeting Corporate Budgeting Accounting and Finance World: Economic Project Selection Methods Economic Project Selection Methods Economic Project Selection and the Business Case Project Management World Project Management and Financial Controls Project Management and Work Performance Data Project Management and Earned Value Management Project Management and Work Performance Reporting

Conflict Resolution Skills (Virtual) Many organizations have assumed that workplace conflict is always destructive. So, they have often believed that conflict is best dealt with by managers or even via policies and procedures. After all, conflict creates workplace stress and leads to many performance problems, generating very real organizational costs! However, savvy organizations have embraced the fact that when conflict is understood and harnessed, it can be leveraged to add value to teams and even enhance performance. With the right knowledge, skills, training, and practice, conflict can be productive and make organizations better! In this highly interactive course, learners will discover the connection between individual conflict response and team-empowering conflict resolution skills. Participants will explore conflict's visceral dynamics and the nuanced behaviors we individually engage in to communicate and respond to conflict. Learners will apply techniques for transforming unproductive conflict responses into productive ones. Additionally, learners will use a systematic method that prepares them to objectively dissect real-world conflict, while practicing many strategies for resolving it. They will also develop proactive conflict approach plans, which they can transfer back to their own workplaces. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Recognize the organizational costs of conflict Explain our physical and mental responses to conflict Communicate proactively and effectively with different types of people during conflict Replace unproductive conflict responses with productive ones Use the Conflict Resolution Diagram (CRD) process and conflict resolution approaches Relate team stages of development to shifts in conflict Develop a proactive conflict approach for your organization Create a conflict resolution plan for a real-world scenario Getting Started Introductions and social agreements Course goal and objectives Opening activities Conflict Facilitation Readiness Conflict responses and perceptions Conflict basics Conflict and organizations Dynamics of conflict Conflict Styles and Communication A look at the color energies model Conflict through the color energies and DiSC® lens Communication with opposite color energies Individual Response to Conflict The anatomy of conflict Recognizing unproductive conflict responses 4 steps to productive conflict Choosing productive conflict responses Team Performance and Conflict High-performing team relationships Conflict and project team performance Conflict Resolution Diagram (CRD) and process Conflict Facilitation - Preparation Recognizing context and stakeholder needs Using team conflict resolution approaches Preparing for Crucial Conversations® Conflict Facilitation - Clarity Exposing assumptions and biases Defining the conflict and using the CRD Conflict Facilitation - Action Proactive conflict management Conflict facilitation practice Summary and Next Steps Review Personal action plans

Work Breakdown Structures: Virtual In-House Training It's amazing how often project managers begin the project planning process by making an outlined list of every task they believe will be required to complete a project and then proclaim they have created the work breakdown structure (WBS) for the project. The result is a list of hundreds, or even thousands of tasks, many of them having durations of a few days or a few hours. Essentially, what they have done is create a 'to do' list, which they then use as a 'checklist' to measure progress. This approach leads to, and even encourages, micromanagement of the resources working on the project without consideration of more critical aspects of project management such as: requirements management, risk management, procurement management, estimating, scheduling, executing, and controlling. Further, it makes it impossible to see the big picture, at levels of detail, in keeping with the needs of sponsors, clients, project and functional managers, team leaders, and project performers. Join us for this exciting program and learn how to use the WBS to make better-informed business decisions. What You Will Learn You will learn how to: Describe the need for a project WBS Describe the WBS role in the project Gain practical experience in the development, decomposition, and use of the WBS Determine the appropriate level of detail in the WBS. Explain how the WBS integrates with project requirements, risk, procurement, estimating, scheduling, and overall project execution. Provide the basic tools to enhance efficient re-use of key information in your future projects Foundation Concepts Key definitions History of the WBS Importance of the WBS Overall structure Terminology Other breakdown structures WBS tools WBS & Scope Project scope management processes Specification of the project objectives WBS design based on project deliverable WBS decomposition process and 'The 100% rule' Work Packages and Control Accounts WBS & Risk Risk management planning and WBS Risk identification to enhance the WBS Risk analysis and the WBS Risk responses and updating the WBS Implementing risk response and Monitoring risks and the WBS WBS & Estimating Use of WBS in the estimating process Components and work packages Sizing and algorithmic estimates WBS & Scheduling Component Scheduling - High-Level Milestones WBS activity decomposition WBS elements dependencies Work Package Level Schedules Responsibility assignment matrix WBS & Execution and Control Earned Value Management and tracking of work performance Progress reports, forecasts, and corrective and preventive actions used to manage work performance Necessary information to close out a project