Look at some of the more advanced planning features available in Project. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) Our Project – Advanced Planning and Control course looks at advanced planning and resourcing techniques in Microsoft Project and how to customise your schedule to give better visibility and flexibility. The course is designed for experienced users of Project who have attended our Project Planning and Control introduction course or have equivalent knowledge. You must be confident using Project to build and resource schedules and create task dependencies. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Work with different types of task Amend resource load on a task Work with multiple resource rates Create custom tables Add custom fields Create calculated fields Add drop down lists in fields Filter and extract information Create new views Export information Content Advanced planning techniques Splitting tasks Task types Spreading work across activities Advanced resourcing techniques Resource types Assignment views Effective dates Work contours Overtime work Using multiple resource rates Creating custom tables Customising tables Adding fields Creating custom fields Adding text, number, date and time fields Using flag fields Defining pick lists Renaming custom fields Creating calculated fields Creating formulas Using graphical indicators Uploading and tracking progress Completing work Completing work per resource Updating tasks Updating the project Working with the status date Rescheduling work Viewing baseline against schedule Project overview statistics Working with filters Building standard filters Building interactive filters Task and resource filters Using highlight filters Creating custom views Creating customised views Customising text styles Using grouping techniques Exporting information Exporting to Excel
Develop your Project Management skills and fully understand the entire project lifecycle and key activities that need to be done to deliver a successful project outcome. Course overview Duration: 2 days (13 hours) The ability to run a successful project professionally is a valuable transferrable life skill that can enhance your career and opportunities in any industry. Our Principles of Project Management course takes a pragmatic approach to managing a project successfully. It looks at the entire project lifecycle and key activities that must be done to give a successful project outcome. This course is suitable for anyone who is involved in or about to run a project – either as a full-time project leader/manager or as a part of their role. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Identify 10 key principles for managing a project successfully Apply a common sense project lifecycle to a project regardless of its size or magnitude Develop robust project documentation throughout the lifecycle whilst keeping the documents to a minimum Identify the expectations of key stakeholders and develop a clear communication plan to engage with them Apply a range of planning and scheduling techniques to help manage the project timeline Produce realistic estimates to help monitor and control the project costs Manage key risks and issues associated throughout the project lifecycle Manage changes through a robust change control process Manage the Project team through the use of clearly defined Work Packages Identify and manage key areas of conflict throughout the lifecycle Content Introduction Key characteristics of projects v Business as Usual Definition of Programmes and Portfolios Project Lifecycles – A structured approach using phases Reasons why projects fail 10 principles of successful project management The Concept (Feasibility) Phase Analysing the project context / environment Stakeholder needs and requirements Content of a Business Case Differences between Benefits, Success Criteria, Success Factors and Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) Purpose of the Project Brief The Definition (Planning) Phase Defining the Scope of a project Assigning Project roles and responsibilities Product Breakdown structures and Work Breakdown Structures Approaches to estimating Detailed planning using Gantt charts Critical path analysis Using project management software – an overview Constructing a realistic project budgets Resource allocation and optimisation Producing a Communication Plan The Implementing (Execution) Phase Delegating using a Work Package Project tracking and reporting Managing contractors Controlling changes to the project Risk and Issues management Managing conflict between stakeholders The Handover / Closure Phase Measuring project success Capturing Lessons Post project review and evaluation Benefits Realisation Transferring the deliverable into Business as Usual
Learn how to work with and connect multiple data sets to effectively analyse and report on data. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) Within Excel you have some powerful features to enable you to connect and analyse multiple data sources. Power Query enables you to import and manipulate your data, Power Pivot enables you to connect multiple data sources and create pivot tables and pivot charts from them. This course is an introduction to Power Query and Power Pivot in Excel to get you started on creating a powerful reporting capability. Knowledge of working with Excel workbooks and relational databases would be an advantage. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Import data from multiple data sources Edit and transform data before importing Add extra columns of data Append data Merge data from other tables Create data models Build data relationships Build Pivot Tables Build Pivot Charts Use Slicers and Timeline Filters Content Importing data Data sources Importing data Transforming data Editing your data Setting data types Removing columns/rows Choosing columns to keep Setting header rows Splitting columns Appending queries Appending data from other tables Adding text Columns from example Custom columns Conditional columns Merge queries Setting up and using merge queries Merging in columns of data Creating a data model The data model Multiple data tables Connecting tables Building relationships Relationship types Building visuals from multiple tables Analysing information using pivot tables Creating and modifying a Pivot Table Recalculating the Pivot Table Filtering the Pivot Table Searching the Pivot Table Drilling down to underlying data Customising field names Changing field formatting Pivot charts, slices and timelines Creating Pivot Charts Adding and using Slicers
The current global demand for clean energy has resulted in rapid growth in the renewable energy sector. As the renewable industry grows, so does the demand for talent to work within it, bringing lots of new career prospects. The industry is the perfect transition for individuals leaving the armed forces who will have benefitted from exposure to many of the skills and experience, as well as the work ethic, that are required to work within this exciting, fast-paced industry.
Are your sales people too stressed, running on adrenalin, perhaps driving towards burnout, struggling to reach targets? Wouldn't you rather they delivered consistently good performance, sustainable over longer periods of time, with less stress (for both them and you)? This uniquely empowering workshop will help your team develop naturally high levels of focus, energy and motivation. They will attain a sense of grounded euphoria, giving them a very distinct and ethical edge in selling. A one-day programme, it gives salespeople an introduction to the 'Natural Superheroes' concepts and resources, tools and techniques, to help them improve their sales performance - realising greater sales potential, developing deeper and more profitable client relationships, winning more business. Through this experience, sales teams gain: Information about profiling clients to instantly understand more about their deepest drives and true needs so they can be genuinely met and, where possible, exceeded Insights into deep, honest and very 'real' reasons for sales procrastination - participants are given specific workable strategies they can easily apply to overcome sales resistance, by tapping their natural motivational styles An understanding of communicating at the very highest levels with different people so they truly understand your sales message and have a significantly more positive sales experience A realisation of their very specific natural sales talents as individuals and as a team A deeper level of experience and understanding of what specifically drives their own behaviour and the behaviour of their clients - these unique insights explain not only how but exactly why people behave the way they do An experience of what it takes to be unshakeable under pressure and manage the sales processes and relationships to a positive outcome for all Brand-new insights into working with and handling difficult people across all levels of authority An understanding of the pitfalls and the psychological traps we set ourselves which cause unnecessary stress, anxiety and frustration on a daily basis and, in turn, limit our sales performance Access to very simple and practical tools that massively increase self-awareness, engender accountability and responsibility and develop emotional sales mastery 1 Introducing 'Natural Superheroes' for sales What is a 'Natural Superhero'? Defining emotional intelligence in the context of sales and why it is so important Knowing yourself - why most people don't know themselves at all and how we can understand exactly what drives our behaviour for the purpose of improving sales performance specifically Knowing exactly why others, and specifically clients and team members, behave the way they do - understanding the real motives behind people's good and bad behaviour in a sales meeting Simple steps to freeing yourself of any anxiety, pressure and false sense of limitation when selling Being yourself in sales - why this is not as easy as it sounds but how you can make it effortless How to take control of achieving the sales performance you really need and want for yourself and others Strategies that raise your self-awareness, increase an authentic and sustainable sense of self-confidence, in difficult situations and in moments of crisis 2 Understanding yourself, your team members and your customers - using the Enneagram Introducing the Enneagram and why it is so valuable to sales people and their clients Exploring the 9 types of motivational drives and why people have different reasons for buying from you Core types and wings - understanding the influence of other motivations either side of the core Enneagram type How to confirm the profile of your client - using celebrities from the world of politics, cinema, sports - we explore how to identify each type - what are their core drives, why have they arisen and how can we use these insights to help you in improving your sales performance The 3 levels of behaviour within your personal profile and that of your clients Lookalike Enneagram types - mistaken identities - how to avoid these traps when profiling your clients and your team How to communicate effectively in a sales environment with each of the different Enneagram types - communication strategies for positive impact on morale, performance and, ultimately, sales results How to interpret and make use of the results of your online personal profile - participants complete an online profile before the event and have the opportunity to analyse their results with a view to improving their sales performance How sales teams sabotage their own performance and that of other people within the team - and how to stop it Uncovering your particular edge in a sales role - what unconsciously trips you up as a sales person? How the Enneagram helps us in sustaining a truly great sales performance over time 3 Why positive thinking alone doesn't work in sales Why 'PMA' does not stand for positive mental attitude when selling - learn its alternative meaning that can serve you even more effectively in a sales role 3 steps and exercises that naturally increase PMA The value of making unconscious thinking conscious and how to do this without any pain or discomfort in a sales meeting Why each Enneagram type has a different experience of PMA in terms of their outward behaviour and how to know when you are maximising your sales performance 4 Measuring success How to measure the development of your individual profile as a sales person Development planning and review Into the future - how to continue your Natural Superhero development
Following on from the Macros course look at how you can write your own Visual Basic code within Excel to fully automate tasks and save time. Course overview Duration: 2 days (13 hours) Our VBA in Excel course is an introduction to using the Visual Basic for Applications language for programming in Excel. It looks at structures, syntax and coding standards. This course is designed for existing experienced users of Excel who can record and run macros and those who have dabbled in VBA but would like some formal training and help to put some structure to their code. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Write visual basic procedures Create event and general procedures Use commands from the Excel data model Use statements and functions Use a selection of debugging tools Create and use variables and constants Use different types of loops Create an Excel user form Content The VBA environment Project explorer Excel objects Modules Properties window Code window Code structure Code structure Navigating within your code Adding comments Using WITH Steps to creating a VBA procedure Procedures Sub procedures Event procedures Calling procedures The Excel data model Workbook commands Worksheet commands Excel selection methods Data manipulation commands Debugging Using breakpoints Stepping through code The immediate window The watch window The locals window points Variables and Constants Declaring variables Declaring multiple variables Variable data types Concatenation Scope of variables Constants Declaring constants Using constants Scope of constants Looping Do while loops Do until loops For next loops Conditional Statements IF statement SELECT CASE statement Comparison statements Logical operators Creating a User Form Form layout The control toolbox Naming conventions Adding objects Naming objects Captions Displaying the form Object properties Object properties Setting properties at design time Setting properties at run time Interconnectivity between the user form and Excel Comparing values Transferring information Running code
This five-day programme empowers participants with the skills and knowledge to understand and effectively apply best practice commercial and contracting principles and techniques, ensuring better contractor performance and greater value add. This is an assessed programme, leading to the International Association for Contracts & Commercial Management (IACCM)'s coveted Contract and Commercial Management Practitioner (CCMP) qualification. By the end of this comprehensive programme the participants will be able to: Develop robust contracting plans, including scopes of work and award strategies Undertake early market engagements to maximise competition Conduct effective contracting and commercial management activities, including ITT, RFP, negotiated outcomes Understand the legalities of contract and commercial management Negotiate effectively with key stakeholders and clients, making use of the key skills of persuading and influencing to optimise outcomes Undertake effective Supplier Relationship Management Appreciate the implications of national and organisational culture on contracting and commercial activities Appreciate professional contract management standards Set up and maintain contract and commercial management governance systems Take a proactive, collaborative, and agile approach to managing commercial contracts Develop and monitor appropriate and robust KPIs and SLAs to manage the contractor and facilitate improved contractor performance Appreciate the cross-functional nature of contract management Collaborate with clients to deliver sustainable performance and to manage and exceed client expectations Understand the roles and responsibilities of contract and commercial managers Use effective contractor selection and award methods and models (including the 10Cs model) and use these models to prepare robust propositions to clients Make effective use of lessons learned to promote improvements from less than optimal outcomes, using appropriate templates Effectively manage the process of change, claims, variations, and dispute resolution Develop and present robust propositions Make appropriate use of best practice contract and commercial management tools, techniques, and templates DAY ONE 1 Introduction Aims Objectives KPIs Learning strategies Plan for the programme 2 The contracting context Key objectives of contract management Importance and impact on the business 3 Critical success factors Essential features of professional commercial and contract management and administration The 6-step model 4 Putting the 'management' into commercial and contract management Traditional v 'new age' models The need for a commercial approach The added value generated 5 Definitions 'Commercial management' 'Contract management' 'Contracting' ... and why have formal contracts? 6 Stakeholders Stakeholder mapping and analysis The 'shared vision' concept Engaging with key functions, eg, HSE, finance, operations 7 Roles and responsibilities Contract administrators Stakeholders 8 Strategy and planning Developing effective contracting plans and strategies DAY TWO 1 Contract control Tools and techniques, including CPA and Gantt charts A project management approach Developing effective contract programmes 2 The contracting context Key objectives of contract management Importance and impact on the business 3 Tendering Overview of the contracting cycle Requirement to tender Methods Rationale Exceptions Steps Gateways Controls One and two package bids 4 Tender assessment and contract award I - framework Tender board procedures Role of the tender board (including minor and major tender boards) Membership Administration Developing robust contract award strategies and presentations DAY THREE 1 Tender assessment and contract award II - processes Pre-qualification processes CRS Vendor registration rules and processes Creating bidder lists Disqualification criteria Short-listing Using the 10Cs model Contract award and contract execution processes 2 Minor works orders Process Need for competition Role and purpose Controls Risks 3 Contract strategy Types of contract Call-offs Framework agreements Price agreements Supply agreements 4 Contract terms I: Pricing structures Lump sum Unit price Cost plus Time and materials Alternative methods Target cost Gain share contracts Advance payments Price escalation clauses 5 Contract terms II: Other financial clauses Insurance Currencies Parent body guarantees Tender bonds Performance bonds Retentions Sub-contracting Termination Invoicing 6 Contract terms III: Risk and reward Incentive contracts Management and mitigation of contractual risk DAY FOUR 1 Contract terms IV: Jurisdiction and related matters Applicable laws and regulations Registration Commercial registry Commercial agencies 2 Managing the client-contractor relationship Types of relationship Driving forces Link between type of contract and style of relationships Motivation - use of incentives and remedies 3 Disputes Types of dispute Conflict resolution strategies Negotiation Mediation Arbitration DAY FIVE 1 Performance measurement KPIs Benchmarking Cost controls Validity of savings Balanced scorecards Using the KPI template 2 Personal qualities of the contract manager Negotiation Communication Persuasion and influencing Working in a matrix environment 3 Contract terms V: Drafting skills Drafting special terms 4 Variations Contract and works variation orders Causes of variations Risk management Controls Prevention Negotiation with contractors 5 Claims Claims management processes Controls Risk mitigation Schedules of rates 6 Close-out Contract close-out and acceptance / completion HSE Final payments Performance evaluation Capturing the learning 7 Close Review Final assessment Next steps
Develop more advanced training skills such as expert presentation, facilitation and coaching skills. Course overview Duration: 2 days (13 hours) This workshop is for people who want to take their personal skills as a trainer to the next level. It builds on the Underscore Level 1 Train the Trainer course. In this Level 2 course delegates will develop more advanced training skills such as expert presentation, facilitation and coaching skills. In the modern world learning is often delivered in blended learning formats and this course will introduce delegates to the challenges of blended learning and how to introduce a range of delivery methods into programmes. Attendees will learn how to write more complex learning plans and integrate different methods and media into their plans. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Describe your Personal Training Style Explain how personality affects communication styles Use techniques to read delegates and adapt communications for greater impact Recognise the ‘games people play’ and how to deal with difficult behaviour Use techniques to establish credibility and enhance your reputation Identify the right approach to take when faced with a range of challenges Use advanced Presentation Skills Use facilitation and coaching skills for experiential workshops Use modern Training Methods and Media Deliver memorable training Note: Delegates attending this programme will be asked to complete an online psychometric in advance of attending the programme in order to help understand personal training styles Content Understanding your Personal Training Style Receive feedback from online Psychometric Understand personal training styles Understand personal communication and working style Understand the impact this has on audience Learn how to adapt your style for greater impact Growing your reputation as a trainer Your Training Persona Training Confidence Training Reputation Trainer Brand Understand the ‘Games People Play’ An introduction to Transactional Analysis (TA) for Trainers Using TA to:Contract for learningUnderstand Trainee AudienceUnderstand interpersonal stylesUnderstand working and thinking stylesWorking in groupsCreativity and innovation Developing deeper Trainer Skills Presentation Magic – making your presentations more effective Facilitation skills for workshops Coaching skills for classrooms and virtual training Delivering experiential workshops Modern Training Methods and Media Incorporating blended learning into your programmes Using Social Learning Using Videos Using Virtual Tools Using CBT and e-learning Pre-course work 1: Complete and online Psychometric Pre-course work 2: Deliver and record a 5-10-minute training session in your workplace on your phone and bring it with you Note: there is an option to have addition 1 hour coaching for delegates to support workplace learning after the course.
Jennifer Holloway delivers keynotes, workshops and webinars for clients, both online and in person (no public courses are run). Here’s a selection of existing sessions to give you a flavour of what’s available (though new ones are being designed all the time, so if you don’t see what you need, just ask): Personal Brand – What? How? Why? An introduction to the subject of personal branding, this session explains what a personal brand is, why you already have one and how to define it so you can remain authentic at all times. Delivered as a 45-minute or 60-minute session x People Buy People – So Who Are You Selling? You want people to buy your personal brand…but what exactly is it? This session challenges people to think in a new way about what they bring to the table and what makes them tick, kicking off the process of defining their personal brand. Delivered as a 90-minute or 120-minute session x Discover Your Personal Brand When you really dig into the detail of not just what you offer but who you are, that’s when you discover your unique selling point. This session provides a step-by-step process to highlight your individuality and put it clearly into words. Delivered as a half-day or full-day session xx Deliver Your Personal Brand With Impact Every time you come into contact with people – whether online, on the phone or in person – they’re picking up clues about you. This session shares practical tips and techniques to ensure those clues create a positive impression. Delivered as a 120-minute or half-day session x Articulate Your Achievements To get the most from your personal brand you have to shine a light on the value you bring, but if you can’t communicate what that value is, you could be missing out. This session provides an easy-to-follow formula to set out your credentials in a subtle, yet very effective way. Delivered as a 60-minute or 90-minute session x How To Create A LinkedIn Profile To Be Proud Of Many of us have a LinkedIn profile, but how many of us are 100% certain it’s creating a positive impression? This session focuses on how to polish up your photo, headline and summary to get you noticed for the right reasons. Delivered as a 45-minute or 60-minute session x Networking For People Who Need Help Networking Some people are natural networkers – meeting people and building relationships with ease – but many feel less confident, unsure how to kick-start the process. This session offers easy-to-implement tips for connecting both in-person and online. Delivered as a 45-minute or 60-minute session And for those wanting an in-depth approach to developing their personal brand: Making The Most Of Your Personal Brand This programme delivers the full-monty: from learning what a personal brand is, to defining what your own brand is, to getting feedback on how others view your brand, to learning how to share your brand both in person and online. x It’s restricted to smaller groups, so every delegate gets individualised support, advice and feedback, plus it fosters an open and collaborative environment for each cohort. Delivered as blend of in-person and online learning, or entirely online
Discover the powerful schedule and cost risk analysis features of PRA. Course overview Duration: 2 days (13 hours) Our Primavera Risk Analysis course gives a detailed introduction to the schedule and risk analysis features of Primavera Risk Analysis. It shows the powerful features of the tool and give hands on practice throughout the course to ensure you can confidentially put your new skills into practice back in the workplace. This course is designed for new users of Primavera Risk Analysis, and no previous experience is required. You should however be familiar with risk management processes and terminology. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Import schedules into PRA Add three point estimates onto plans Perform schedule and cost analysis Use templated quick risk Run risk analysis Interpret results from the Risk Histogram and Tornado graph Add task percentiles to a Gantt chart Set up a risk register Add qualitative and quantitative risks Link risk to activities in the plan Create reports Use the Distribution Analyser Content Importing schedules Importing MSP and Primavera Schedules Running import checks Checking schedule integrity Schedule risk analysis 3 point estimating Entering uncertainly Different distributions Using quick risk Updating plan Importing plans with 3 point estimates Cost/Resource uncertainty Resource loadings Creating 3 point cost estimates Resource distributions and escalations Simple cost estimates Templated quick risk Setting up and applying templated quick risk Assessing risk at WBS level Running risk analysis Running risk analysis Interpreting results on the Risk Histogram Setting analysis options Task percentiles Setting task percentile options Including task percentiles on the Gantt chart Tornado graph Creating a Tornado graph Viewing sensitivity Analysing sensitivity against activities Setting up the risk register Setting Schema levels Defining criteria and tolerances Setting up a Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) Working with manageability and proximity Saving scoring matrices Adding custom fields Exporting data Exporting to Excel, Word and PowerPoint Qualitive risks Setting risk IDs Adding risk cause, description and effect Setting up risk details Entering mitigation actions Quantitative risks Linking risks to activities Adding schedule and cost impacts Defining how multiple risks impact Correlation Migrating your plan Adding mitigation actions to your plan as tasks Linking tasks to mitigation actions Actioning your risk register Progressing risks Importing progressed plans Linking register to progressed plans Risk history The Waterfall chart Saving and reporting Exporting the risk register Running reports Creating new reports Building and comparing risk plans Using the distribution analyser Comparing dates and cost