Developing the Business Case: In-House Training Business analysts must be able to create business case documents that highlight project benefits, costs, and risks. The business case is based on the real business need to be solved. These become parts of proposals, feasibility studies, and other decision support documents. This course teaches the purpose, structure, and content of a business case. It presents the basic techniques for determining financial ROI, non-tangible benefits, and the probability of meeting expectations. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Perform feasibility studies Justify the business investment to solve the business problem Prepare an effective business case document Plan and implement a business case approval process Foundation Concepts The role of the BA An introduction to the BABOK® Guide The business analyst and the product / project life cycle (PLC) The business case deliverable Introducing the Business Case Process The BA and strategy analysis The BA and the business case process (BCP) The BA during the business case process (BCP) The BA after the business case process (BCP) Importance of defining solution performance metrics Defining the Business Need Overview of defining the business need Business needs: problem / opportunity statement Product vision Objectives and constraints Exploring Business Case Solutions Overview of exploring solutions Solution identification for feasibility Solution definition for analysis Assessing project risks Justifying the Business Case Overview of justifying the business case Qualitative justification Quantitative justification Approving the Business Case Overview of business case approval Developing recommendations Preparing the decision package - documents Preparing the decision package - presentations
Writing and Managing Requirements Documents: In-House Training This course is part of IIL's Business Analysis Certificate Program (BACP), a program designed to help prepare individuals pass the IIBA™ Certification exam to become a Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP™). Learn more at www.iil.com/bacp. Once a business analyst has completed the information gathering and analysis to produce the solution to a business problem, the results must be documented for all stakeholders to see and understand. This course will enhance the skill set needed for writing and managing the complex readership that business analysts interact with on a day-to-day basis. What you will Learn Upon completion, participants will be able to: Write an understood requirements document that is approvable and acceptable Validate a requirements document Manage the changes to requirements documents through the SDLC Foundation Concepts The role of the business analyst An introduction to the BABOK® Guide The business analyst and the product/project life cycle The requirements documentation process Planning for Effective Requirements Documentation Overview of requirements planning Planning for validation Planning for verification: well-formed criteria Planning for verification: understood and usable criteria Writing Effective Requirements Documents Overview of writing requirements documents Using a standard structure / template Applying formatting techniques Meeting the challenge of writing non-functional requirements Baselining Requirements Documents Overview of the requirements baseline process Validation Verification Approval Managing Requirements Change through the Product Life Cycle Overview of requirements change management Establishing a formal change management process Tracing requirements through design and development (build, test, and implementation) Following through to post-implementation (transition and early production)
Microsoft Project Orange Belt® 2013: In-House Training This workshop gives participants a full insight into creating effective schedules using Microsoft® Project 2013, allowing you to estimate, coordinate, budget, staff, and control projects and support other users. This workshop gives participants a full insight into creating effective schedules using Microsoft® Project 2013, allowing you to estimate, coordinate, budget, staff, and control projects and support other users. This workshop provides the eBook Dynamic Scheduling with Microsoft® Project 2013, and is kept up to date with the framework of knowledge outlined by the Project Management Institute's PMBOK® Guide and the Practice Standard for Scheduling. What you Will Learn You'll learn how to: Understand what's new in Project 2013 Explain where Project 2013 fits in the Microsoft® EPM solution Initialize Project 2013 to start project planning Create a well-formed project schedule Understand task types and the schedule formula Assign resources and costs to tasks Analyze resource utilization and optimize the schedule Set a baseline and track progress Create and manage project reports Customize views and fields Apply Earned Value Management Understand the basics of managing multiple projects Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Enterprise Project Management Concepts and Framework Getting Started with Project 2013 Project 2013: What's New and General Overview Setting Up a New Project Schedule (templates, options, save, etc.) Setting the Project Calendar Entering Tasks The Planning Processes Importing Tasks (Word, Excel, SharePoint) Synchronizing with SharePoint Tasks List Creating and managing the WBS (include tasks, manually scheduled tasks, summary tasks and milestones, as well as custom WBS coding) Entering Estimates Tendencies in Estimating The Rolling Wave Approach Entering Duration and Work Estimates Types of Tasks Entering Dependencies The Principle of Dynamic Scheduling Choosing the Right Type of Dependency Entering Dependencies in Project 2013 Different Applications of Dependencies Entering Deadlines, Constraints, and Task Calendars Use of Deadlines and Constraints Entering Deadlines and Constraints in Project 2013 Entering Resources and Costs Types of Resources Entering Resources in Project 2013 Calendars and Resources Entering Costs in Project 2013 Entering Assignments Assignments in a Schedule Assignments and Task Types Entering Assignments in Project 2013 Assignments, Budgets, and Costs Optimizing the Schedule The Critical Path Method and the Resource Critical Path Resource Leveling Optimizing Time, Cost, and Resources in Project 2013 Updating the Schedule The Baseline Updating Strategies and Situations Prepare the Status and Forecast Report in Project 2013 Reporting Using Reports Using Visual Reports Formatting and Printing in Project 2013 Customizing Fields in Project 2013 Earned Value Management (EVM) Overview of EVM Applying EVM with Project 2013 Evaluating the Project Evaluating the Project Performance Project Benefits and Results Templates for Future Projects Summary Tools and Checklist Best Practices Checklist Consolidated Schedules Creating Consolidated Schedules Using a Resource Pool Links across Projects Solving common problems Analyzing the Critical Path across Projects
Portfolio Management Skills: In-House Training The main purpose of this workshop is to equip and enable people in a portfolio management office and PMO to effectively and efficiently support the Executive Leadership and Operational Management to plan, implement, manage, and evolve portfolio management in their organization. There is a deliberate focus on preparing you to become a strong and effective change advocate for meaningful portfolio management that delivers objective measurements of benefit contribution towards the strategic objectives to lead, manage, and continuously improve portfolio management governance, processes, and frameworks with and through the direction of a portfolio practice, principles, and delivery boards. What you Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Articulate the benefits of portfolio management Link the initiatives in an organization with its strategic objectives Participate in the introduction of portfolio management in an organization Create or improve the portfolio governance structure Lead the inventory of ongoing and new initiatives Assist the executives in the prioritization of initiatives through the use of Multi-criteria Analysis and other selection tools Support the executives in balancing the portfolio based on the optimal use of resources and priorities Create a portfolio delivery plan Define thresholds and variance reporting criteria Assist the executives and the financial team in the definition of Stage Gate Funding Lead the Stage Gate reviews Analyze the benefits that are being realized by the initiatives Foundation Concepts Definitions Benefits of Portfolio Management Objectives of Portfolio Management Portfolio Life Cycles Governing the Portfolio Portfolio Governance structure Roles and responsibilities Initial activities when starting portfolio management Prioritizing Initiatives Prioritize purpose Multi-Criteria Analysis Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Strategic alignment Balancing the Portfolio Allocating resources and budgets Communicating decisions of initiatives status Planning the Portfolio Planning review cycles Using Stage Gate Funding Setting thresholds and variance reporting Tool examples Managing the Portfolio Delivery Project and Program Life Cycles Stage Gate Reviews Loop back to Prioritize, Balance and Plan Interaction with the Portfolio Delivery Board Project, Program and Functional Managers' roles and responsibilities
Microsoft Project Orange Belt® 2016: In-House Training This workshop gives participants a full insight into creating effective schedules using Microsoft® Project 2016, allowing you to estimate, coordinate, budget, staff, and control projects and support other users. This workshop gives participants a full insight into creating effective schedules using Microsoft® Project 2016, allowing you to estimate, coordinate, budget, staff, and control projects and support other users. This workshop provides the eBook Dynamic Scheduling with Microsoft® Project 2013, and is kept up to date with the framework of knowledge outlined by the Project Management Institute's PMBOK® Guide and the Practice Standard for Scheduling. What you Will Learn You'll learn how to: Understand what's new in Project 2016 Explain where Project 2016 fits in the Microsoft® EPM solution Initialize Project 2016 to start project planning Create a well-formed project schedule Understand task types and the schedule formula Assign resources and costs to tasks Analyze resource utilization and optimize the schedule Set a baseline and track progress Create and manage project reports Customize views and fields Apply Earned Value Management Understand the basics of managing multiple projects Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Concepts of Project Management Getting Started with Project 2016 Project 2016: What's New and General Overview Setting Up a New Project Schedule (templates, options, save, etc.) Setting the Project Calendar Entering Tasks The planning processes Importing tasks (Word, Excel, SharePoint) Synchronizing with SharePoint Tasks List Creating and managing the WBS (include tasks, manually scheduled tasks, summary tasks, milestones, and custom WBS coding) Entering Estimates Tendencies in estimating The rolling wave approach Entering duration and work estimates Types of tasks Entering Dependencies The principle of dynamic scheduling Choosing the right Type of dependency Entering dependencies in Project 2016 Different applications of dependencies Entering Deadlines, Constraints, and Task Calendars Use of deadlines and constraints Entering deadlines and constraints in Project 2016 Entering Resources and Costs Types of resources Entering resources in Project 2016 Calendars and resources Entering costs in Project 2016 Entering Assignments Assignments in a schedule Assignments and task types Entering assignments in Project 2016 Assignments, budgets, and costs Optimizing the Schedule The critical path method (CPM) and the resource critical path (RCP) Resource leveling Optimizing time, cost, and resources in Project 2016 Updating the Schedule The baseline Updating strategies and situations Prepare the status and forecast report in Project 2016 Reporting Using reports Using Visual Reports Formatting and printing in Project 2016 Customizing fields in Project 2016 Earned Value Management (EVM) Overview of EVM Applying EVM with Project 2016 Evaluating the Project Evaluating the project performance Project benefits and results Templates for future projects Summary and Next steps Tools and checklist Best practices checklist Certification options
Microsoft Project Blue Belt® 2013: In-House Training This course introduces Project Server 2013 features that expedite scheduling projects and simplify managing tasks within an enterprise environment. Learn different aspects of Project Server and their benefits to varying roles in the enterprise, and gain hands-on experience and insights on best practices from SMEs around the world. This course introduces Project Server 2013 features that expedite scheduling projects and simplify managing tasks within an enterprise environment. Learn different aspects of Project Server and their benefits to varying roles in the enterprise, and gain hands-on experience and insights on best practices from SMEs around the world. What you Will Learn You'll learn how to: Identify the project's life cycle Understand the Enterprise Project Management (EPM) environment Apply the basic project management principles to selecting, initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing your Project 2013 schedules Take advantage of new features Explain Project Server 2013 views and project sites Meet deadlines and budget restrictions Keep the workloads of your resources within their available limits Efficiently update your schedule Take advantage of the standard reports, custom views, and visual reports for your projects Take a brief look at the Business Intelligence potential Efficiently and effectively manage your project(s) and programs Work comfortably within Project Server 2013 or Project Online Getting Started with Microsoft® Project Server 2013 Describing the EPM context Discovering Project Server 2013 and Project Online Differentiating the users of Project Server 2013 Working with Project Professional 2013 and Project Server 2013 Recognizing the Life Cycle within EPM Projects and Portfolio Management Portfolio management and governance Originating new initiatives within EPTs and workflows Prioritizing initiatives, analyzing scenarios, optimizing, and selecting the portfolio Initiating Projects Initiating processes with Project Professional, SharePoint lists, Enterprise Projects, and Resource Plans Importing projects and managing project owner and permissions Planning Projects - Scope and Schedule Management Planning context and framework Scheduling in PWA Using the Deliverables feature Planning Projects - Staffing Management Plan Building a project team Managing resource availability Reviewing the assignment cycle Resolving resource overallocation Planning Projects - Cost Components, Baseline, and Consolidated Schedules Developing components of the Cost Management Planning processes Working with the baseline in projects and programs or master schedules Improving the Collaboration in the Project Sites Creating the Project Sites Developing components of the Risk Management Plan and Issues Tracking Linking planning documents Additional apps and customization Executing Projects Understanding executing processes Managing resources using Build Team and other features Working with timesheets Reporting administrative time Configuring personal settings Monitoring and Controlling Projects - Tracking Task and Project Progress Understanding the Monitoring and Controlling processes Task progress and updates in PWA including considerations for different tracking methods Task progress and updates in Project Professional 2013 Monitor and Control Projects - Measuring Performance and Reporting Progress Understanding status reports Reviewing performance metrics and progress reports Taking advantage of preloaded reports at the Business Intelligence Center Considerations for defining custom reports Closing Projects Reviewing the closing processes and closing tasks to updates Supporting the closing process
Business Intelligence: 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
Scrum Master and Product Owner Workshop This workshop builds on the specific roles and responsibilities of the Product Owner and Scrum Master in a Scrum environment, and how they need to work together as part of the Scrum methodology. During these sessions, you will explore who does what before, during, and after the Scrum Sprint cycles, as well as how to make the process work best in your specific Agile environment. You will come away from this workshop with a much deeper understanding of the roles and responsibilities so that individual performance improves on the job. Improved target results include providing focused leadership, making effective decisions, guiding Agile teams, and delivering business value. Foundation Concepts Agile History, Values, and Mindset Introduction to Scrum Scrum Events Scrum Artifacts Scrum Roles and Responsibilities Scrum Roles Product Owner Responsibilities Scrum Master Responsibilities The Scrum Team Responsibilities Cross-functional Teams Product Ownership Product Ownership Vision Understand Your Customers and Market Stakeholder Management and Engagement Product Backlog What is a User Story? Epics and User Stories Acceptance Criteria Preparing User Stories for a Sprint Definition of Ready (DoR) and Definition of Done (DoD) User Story Estimation Using Planning Poker Backlog Grooming Roadmaps, Story Maps, Impact Mapping Product Backlog Prioritization, MoSCoW, Kano Analysis Technical Debt The Sprint Team Capacity and Velocity Planning Sprint Planning Meeting and Sprint Plan The Sprint: Learning to Become Self-managing, Self-organizing, Self-improving Sprint Review Meeting Retrospectives Project Progress and Completion The Daily Scrum The Task Board and The Burndown Chart Information Radiators Closing a Scrum Project Summary and Next Steps Review of course goals, objectives, and content
PMI-ACP® Exam Prep: In-House Training This course builds on the candidates' practical experience of Agile in the workplace to equip them with the broad range of knowledge and skills required for the PMI® Agile Certification exam. It will follow the PMI® requirements and reference the suggested reading list, including the Agile Practice Guide, but will not be limited to those areas. Within the profession and discipline of project management, Agile continues to develop as a significant and important aspect of bringing change to an organization. Where the products of change must be delivered to the business 'on time,' Agile is often the chosen methodology. In addition to equipping candidates for the PMI® Agile Certification examination, this course will also support candidates in taking a more informed and effective role in Agile projects. It will also enable them to take a significant role in encouraging and enabling the organization to become or develop as an Agile environment. What you will Learn You will learn how to: Appreciate the wider aspects of Agile project management tools and techniques Integrate various disciplines within Agile Tailor / customize Agile to suit the needs of different projects Prepare yourself for the PMI® Agile Certification examination Getting Started Introductions Agenda Expectations Foundation Concepts Defining 'Traditional' Project Management Project management parameters The 'traditional' approach to the parameters Strengths and weaknesses of the traditional approach Defining 'Agile' Project Management Project management parameters revisited The 'agile' approach to the parameters Strengths and weaknesses of agile Managing projects with traditional and agile methods Can the two approaches co-exist? Leveraging the benefits of both methods Options for using both methods on a project Avoiding the elephant traps Key aspects of the PMI® Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® Handbook Overview Eligibility requirements Exam information Exam Blueprint Continuing certification requirements Key aspects of the PMI Agile Certification Examination Content Outline Introduction Agile exam content outline Tools and techniques Knowledge and skills Domains and tasks (not examined) An Introduction to Agile and Implementing Agile Definable work vs. high-uncertainty work Project factors that influence tailoring The Agile Manifesto and 12 Principles Agile mindset Agile domains and tasks Agile Tools and Techniques Related to PM 'Hard Skills' Planning, monitoring, and adapting The need for planning, monitoring, and adapting The Agile approach to planning and plans The Agile planning tools and techniques The Agile monitoring tools and techniques The Agile approach to adapting Product quality A definition of 'product quality' Setting the standard for product quality Agile tools and techniques for achieving product quality Risk management A definition of 'risk' What is 'at risk'? The acceptability of risks The Agile tools and techniques for managing risks Agile Tools and Techniques Related to PM 'Soft Skills' The difference between PM 'hard and soft' skills Communications The importance of communications Forms of agile communications Communications within the project Communications from the project Communications to the project Making communications the cultural norm Interpersonal Skills Defining and understanding management Defining and understanding leadership Defining and understanding servant leadership Delegating vs. empowering Playing to people's strengths Overcoming the roadblocks Core Agile Tools and Techniques The philosophy of core Agile tools and techniques Agile estimation Will traditional forms of estimating work for agile? The relationship between estimating and guessing The relationship between estimating and sizing The where, who, and how of agile estimating Agile analysis and design Product analysis and design from a user point of view Product analysis and design from a supplier point of view Product analysis and design from an agile project point of view Value-Based Agile Tools and Techniques The role of value-based tools and techniques in bridging traditional PM with Agile Value-based prioritization Value-based prioritization and agile projects Investment appraisal methods Regulatory driven Customer driven Ranking methods (MMF, MoSCoW) Metrics What should we measure / track? Methods of measuring / tracking Adding value with metrics Process Improvement Value-stream analysis Value-stream mapping Agile Knowledge and Skills Context of Agile Knowledge and Skills vis-Ã -vis Agile Tools and Techniques Agile Knowledge and Skills Process focused People focused Product focused Project focused Exam Preparation and Course Closure The application process - where are you now? The 'Exam-Focused Journal' - what you still have to do Further preparation - self-study schedule Exam topic review Practice exam Practice exam debrief Course closure
Preparing for Digital Transformation Organizations today must keep pace with changing technology to stay abreast of the market demand. Keeping pace means a transformation of the entire organization into the digital age. This workshop presents the challenges, benefits, and pitfalls of digital transformation and how it will affect you, and how you can be better prepared and positioned for the upcoming digital transformation. The goal of this course is to enable you to become knowledgeable about the technologies behind a digital transformation in your organization and the driving forces compelling such a transformation. You will learn how to become engaged in the processes of transforming your organization digitally to meet with the growing demands of customers and clients What you will Learn Describe the impact that digital is making on the economy and on customer expectations Examine the nature and drivers of the digital transformation Evaluate new technologies such as Blockchain, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and other technologies and see how they work to bring about digital transformation Assess the impact of digital technologies on the current roles and positions in the organization Discuss both the demand that customers have for digital technologies and the impact the digital technologies have on the customer and its relationship with the organization Recognize the new technology trends in the digital transformation and what they mean to the future of the organization Identify how digital transformation will affect all roles and how to be prepared for the upcoming and continuing digital transformation Foundation Concepts Digital transformation versus automation Driving forces behind the digital transformation Learning from digital transformation successes Digital Transformation and Customer Orientation The Digital Customer Customer touch points and the customer journey Omnichannel concept Transform to the customer Digital Technologies and the Organization Relationship Management Big Data: The Basis for it All The Human Factor in Digital Transformations Risks of Digital Transformation Technology Trends Data and Business Analytics Other Major Trends Preview of Coming Attractions Pathway to Digital Transformation