24 Courses in Birmingham

The Art of Negotiation: In-House Training Confidence, rapport, curiosity, and patience are essential ingredients to successfully handling a difficult conversation and negotiation. In this course, you will learn to identify and manage aspects of a negotiation, distinguish needs from wants, and manage expectations. The course will cover communication best practices, strategies for handling difficult conversations, and the basics of the art of negotiation. What you Will Learn Master the different ways to say 'no' Determine negotiation strategies based on typical client strategies Develop solutions to break deadlocks Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Establishing personal learning objectives Foundation Concepts Exercise: Most Challenging Scenarios and Outcomes Debrief: Impact versus intent Addressing customer expectations Needs versus wants Key skills for managing customer relationships Elicitation (requirements gathering) Communication and active listening Sensitivity and empathy Handling Difficult Conversations Saying 'no' The Ladder of Inference 4-Step approach for handling difficult conversations Characteristics of a trusted advisor Communication Best Practices Attunement and active listening Exercise: Identifying Effective Techniques Communication pitfalls and best practices Building rapport and influence Words of wisdom Exercise: Reflection on Challenges Negotiation Strategies Negotiation basics Five phases of negotiation Identifying different strategies Traditional versus Progressive Hard - Soft - Principled Exercise: Your Preferred Techniques Selecting appropriate strategy for project negotiations Common pitfalls to avoid The impact of culture on negotiation Looking at conflict through the lens of negotiation Exercise: Mapping a Resolution

Advanced Python training course description This course caters to network engineers aiming to enhance both their Python proficiency and network automation skills. Delving deeper into key areas such as netmiko, Nornir, and ncclient, we also focus on automating network testing and validation. Participants gain greater confidence working with Python functions, classes, objects, and error handling. The course additionally introduces more libraries like Scrapli, TTP, pyATS, Genie, pybatfish, and Suzieq, which cover parsing strategies, automation testing, validation, network analysis, observability, and telemetry. The curriculum also encompasses concurrency techniques. What will you learn Write Python modules and functions. Evaluate techniques to parse unstructured data. Use NETCONF filters. Handle Python errors effectively (try, assert…). Use postman. Automate testing and validation of the network. Use scrapli, Genie, batfish and Suzieq. Advanced Python training course details Who will benefit: Network engineers. Prerequisites: Python for network engineers Duration 5 days Advanced Python training course contents Review CLI, NETCONF, RESTCONF, structured versus unstructured data, gNMI and when to use which. PEP 8. Naming conventions. Packages, modules, Classes and methods. The scrapli library. Netmiko versus scrapli. Hands on: scrapli, Dictionaries versus Regular Expressions. Modules and Functions Writing your own modules, containers versus packages, virtual environments. Best practices, calling functions, writing your own functions. Parameters, arguments. Named arguments, dictionaries as arguments. Builtins. Docstrings. Main. __name__, __main__ . Program arguments. Hands on: Getting interfaces, showing interface status using Netmiko and functions. Using dictionaries as arguments. Writing your own modules. Parsing strategies Turning unstructured data into structured data. textfsm, PyATS Genie parser, NAPALM getters, Template Text Parser. Hands on: Genie parser, TTP. Accessing structured data with lists and dictionaries. Classes, objects and Python Python classes in Genie, PyEZ and others . Hands on: studying network automation classes, objects, methods and attributes. Configuration management - more nornir, ncclient, requests Nornir tasks. Nornir results, Nornir functions, Nornir plugins. Nornir processors. YANG, YANG models, pyang. NETCONF hello. Capabilities. Schemas. Filters. Subtrees. XPATH. Exploring available YANG data models. NETCONF and network wide transactions. Asserting NETCONF capabilities. Configuration types. Locking configurations, commits. NETCONF data stores. Netconf-console. RESTCONF differences from NETCONF. URI construction. Postman. More XML and JSON. Git and configuration versions. Hands on: Nornir and Jinja2. Exploring available models, NETCONF filters. Using postman. Python error handling and debugging Context handlers, try, assert, logging, pdb, pytest, unit testing, chatgpt. Hands on: Writing code with each of the error handling methods, investigating what happens on an error. Use chatgpt to debug your code. Python Automation Testing Testing and validation. pyATS, Genie. Testbed file. Genie parse, genie learn, genie diff. Genie conf, Genie ops, Genie SDK, Genie harness. Xpresso. Hands on: Using Genie for state comparisons of the network. Network analysis Batfish, pybatfish, configuration analysis, analysing routing, analysing ACLs. Pandas. Pandas dataframe. Filtering and selecting values of interest. Hands on: Use Batfish to analyse network snapshots, find network adjacencies, flow path analysis. Network observability Suzieq, using docker, using as a package. Sqpoller, suzieq-gui, suzieq-cli, sq-rest-server. Namespaces and seeing devices, network state and Asserts. Time based analysis, snapshots and changes. Hands on: Suzieq: Gathering data from the network, analysing data from the network. Network state assertion. Telemetry gRPC, gNMI. CAP, GET, SET. Subscriptions. Model Driven telemetry. Hands on: Analysing telemetry data with Python. Concurrency asyncio, threads, processes. Nornir concurrency. Scrapli and netmiko concurrency. Hands on: Multiple SSH connections to devices at same time. Scarpli asyncio.

BGP training course description A detailed study of BGP, from the basics of how it works through to advanced issues such as route reflectors, policy, filtering, route selection and routing registries. The course culminates with a study of an industrial strength BGP template illustrating important issues such as bogon filtering. Practical hands on with routers follow the major sessions to reinforce the theory. A multiple choice exam, leading to the LAIT III certification, is available after the course. The exam consists of 60 questions and lasts 2 hours. What will you learn Connect enterprises to the Internet, and ISPs to each other. Describe how BGP works. List, describe and configure the main BGP attributes. Implement and troubleshoot BGP. Work with route aggregation and calculate CIDR prefixes in seconds. Influence traffic paths with BGP. BGP training course details Who will benefit: Anyone who will be working with BGP. Prerequisites: TCP/IP Foundation for engineers Definitive IP routing for engineers. Duration 5 days BGP training course contents Basic BGP IGPs, EGPs, What's BGP? BGP RIB, in/out process, tables peers, adding routes. Hands on Simple configuration and troubleshooting. The Internet and peering ASs, AS numbers, Internet structure, ISP types, ISP network design, IXs, peering vs. transit, public/ private peering, bi/multi-lateral peering. Hands on AS information gathering. How BGP works Incremental updates, Path vector protocols, BGP protocol stack, the BGP header, message types, NLRI, withdrawn routes, route refresh, route dampening. Hands on More troubleshooting, packet analysis. MBGP and IPv6 Multiprotocol routing, AFI, SAFI, MBGP and multicasts, IPv6, MPLS VPNs. Hands on IPv6 BGPv4 aggregation CIDR, benefits, techniques, shortcuts, configuring BGP aggregation, leaking routes. Hands on Reducing routing table size. BGP path selection BGP attributes, attribute types, route selection order, Local preference, AS prepend, MEDs. Hands on Influencing traffic with BGP. BGP routing policies What is policy? Examples, route filtering, AS filtering, REs, applying preference selectively, peer groups. Hands on Sophisticated policies. RIPE and routing registries RIRs, Allocations, assignments, PI vs. PA. Objects, RPSL, routing registry, Hands on The RIPE database. Automating BGP configuration Automation tools, whois, IRRToolSet, Bogon lists, tracking bogon lists, HTTP, Peering, routing registries, DNS. Communities What is a community? Community names, communities for: peer types and geography. RFC 1998, default communities. Hands on Setting local preference on other routers. Route servers What are route servers? LINX route servers, route server policy control, What are route collectors, Looking glasses. Hands on Setting up and working with a route server. Peer relationships IBGP, EBGP, next hop self, advertising routes into/out of BGP, synchronisation. Hands on IBGP, troubleshooting a large BGP network. Route reflectors and confederations Full mesh IBGP, Route reflectors, RR configuration and design, confederations, migration issues. Hands on RR configuration. BGP architectures Stub vs. transit AS, when to use BGP, multihoming strategies and issues, default routes. Multihop EBGP, load balancing. Hands on Multihoming. BGP security RFC 7454, security steps, BGP TTL security, filters, RPKI, ROAs, rsync, rrdp, validators. A secure BGP template. Hands on RPKI prefix validation.

Estimating for Business Analysts: In-House Training A business analyst does not have authority to estimate the project and will not be held responsible for the project staying within the proposed budget; however, the business analyst does participate in various planning exercises with the project team. Many times the business analyst is on his or her own, required to provide estimates of how long it will take to perform their tasks. This course acquaints you with the basics of estimating from the point of view of the business analyst, emphasizing time estimates for the work. It also covers some of the product cost estimates that a business analyst may have to provide when the business is performing a cost/benefit analysis for the project. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Translate business needs and requirements into estimates Estimate durations using a variety of techniques Negotiate differences in estimates Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Foundation Concepts The importance of estimating to a business analyst The good and bad of estimating The project context The meaning of good estimating Focuses of estimating Characteristics of a good estimate Estimating the Time Requirements Applicable BABOK® Knowledge Areas Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring Elicitation and Collaboration Estimating the elicitation Information Gathering Plan Relative times for elicitation activities Planning and estimating the business analysis approach and activities Planning the business analysis activities Impact of process Estimating the Product Estimating the value of the product Business analyst's role Defining and determining value Function and use case points Agile estimating Planning Poker Other agile estimating techniques Negotiating estimates Negotiation techniques Negotiation approaches Summary What did we learn, and how can we implement this in our work environment?

LINX 3 training course description A detailed study of BGP, from the basics of how it works through to advanced issues such as route reflectors, policy, filtering, route selection and routing registries. The course culminates with a study of an industrial strength BGP template illustrating important issues such as bogon filtering. Practical hands on with routers follow the major sessions to reinforce the theory. A multiple choice exam, leading to the LAIT III certification, is available after the course. The exam consists of 60 questions and lasts 2 hours. What will you learn Connect enterprises to the Internet, and ISPs to each other. Describe how BGP works. List, describe and configure the main BGP attributes. Implement and troubleshoot BGP. Work with route aggregation and calculate CIDR prefixes in seconds. Influence traffic paths with BGP. LINX 3 training course details Who will benefit: Network engineers. Prerequisites: LAIT I and II OR CCNP and take LAIT I and LAIT II exams whilst on this course. Duration 5 days LINX 3 training course contents Basic BGP IGPs, EGPs, What's BGP? BGP RIB, in/out process, tables peers, adding routes. Hands on Simple configuration and troubleshooting. The Internet and peering ASs, AS numbers, Internet structure, ISP types, ISP network design, IXs, peering vs. transit, public/ private peering, bi/multi-lateral peering. Hands on AS information gathering. How BGP works Incremental updates, Path vector protocols, BGP protocol stack, the BGP header, message types, NLRI, withdrawn routes, route refresh, route dampening. Hands on More troubleshooting, packet analysis. MBGP and IPv6 Multiprotocol routing, AFI, SAFI, MBGP and multicasts, IPv6, MPLS VPNs. Hands on IPv6 BGPv4 aggregation CIDR, benefits, techniques, shortcuts, configuring BGP aggregation, leaking routes. Hands on Reducing routing table size. BGP path selection BGP attributes, attribute types, route selection order, Local preference, AS prepend, MEDs. Hands on Influencing traffic with BGP. BGP routing policies What is policy? Examples, route filtering, AS filtering, REs, applying preference selectively, peer groups. Hands on Sophisticated policies. RIPE and routing registries RIRs, Allocations, assignments, PI vs. PA. Objects, RPSL, routing registry, Hands on The RIPE database. Automating BGP configuration Automation tools, whois, IRRToolSet, Bogon lists, tracking bogon lists, HTTP, Peering, routing registries, DNS. Communities What is a community? Community names, communities for: peer types and geography. RFC 1998, default communities. Hands on Setting local preference on other routers. Route servers What are route servers? LINX route servers, route server policy control, What are route collectors, Looking glasses. Hands on Setting up and working with a route server. Peer relationships IBGP, EBGP, next hop self, advertising routes into/out of BGP, synchronisation. Hands on IBGP, troubleshooting a large BGP network. Route reflectors and confederations Full mesh IBGP, Route reflectors, RR configuration and design, confederations, migration issues. Hands on RR configuration. BGP architectures Stub vs. transit AS, when to use BGP, multihoming strategies and issues, default routes. Multihop EBGP, load balancing. Hands on Multihoming. BGP security RFC 7454, security steps, BGP TTL security, filters, RPKI, ROAs, rsync, rrdp, validators. A secure BGP template. Hands on RPKI prefix validation.

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

Travel and Parking arrangements: Paid parking is available (attendees are responsible for paying parking fees) From New St Station, follow signs to Moor St station. When you get to Moor St, go down the hill to the side of the station towards the multi-storey car park. At the car park, go left under the railway bridge. Immediately after the railway bridge turn right onto Shaw's passage, which is quite short. We're on the corner at the end of Shaws Passage - walk round the corner onto Allison Street and past the Cafe to the full glass door with the Birmingham Friends of the Earth hanging sign.

About this Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) This 5 half-day VILT course will comprehensively cover the technical aspects of gas processing. The scope will be from the wellhead through the typical gas processing plant and discuss gas gathering (pipeline hydraulics), natural gas treating (H2S, CO2 removal), acid gas injection and sulfur recovery. One unique aspect of this training course is the operations and troubleshooting discussions in each module. This VILT course is suited to technical personnel or technical management. Training Objectives After the completion of this VILT course, participants will be able to: Grasp the key specifications of natural gas and liquid products Understand the physical and transport properties of gases and liquids and liquid-vapor phase behavior Explore the various technologies for processing natural gas and to make the specifications Examine the design of the technologies Learn how to diagnose operating problems to keep facilities running reliably Target Audience This VILT course is intended for all surface technical personnel such as process engineers & technologists, facility engineers and production engineers & technologists. This VILT course will greatly benefit but not limited to: Process, petroleum and production engineers Field operators and technicians Personnel involved in gas treatment and processing Managers and Supervisors involved with gas processing operations Course Level Basic or Foundation Intermediate Training Methods The VILT course will be delivered online in 5 half-day sessions comprising 4 hours per day, with 2 breaks of 10 minutes per day. Course Duration: 5 half-day sessions, 4 hours per session (20 hours in total). The maximum number of participants for this course is 20 persons. Case studies and Exercises: This VILT course will use actual case references throughout its duration in various forms. This will allow the application of the participants' newly-acquired knowledge. Case studies also stimulate independent thinking and discussion among the participants Trainer Your expert course leader has written several papers that have been published in both academic and industry journals. He has over 30 years of industry experience, specializing in gas processing (pipeline hydraulics, separation, dehydration, treating, sulphur recovery and refrigeration processes) and also has experience with crude oil dehydration, stabilization and micro-refining topping plants. He has experience with developing new technology and is recently involved in lithium, waste biomass and used motor oil pyrolysis and geothermal projects. He has recognized expertise in thermodynamics and physical and transport properties of fluids. He has consulted for several EPC and operating companies through his company Chem-Pet Process Tech., and currently holds the role of Director of Technology in an integrated engineering and solutions provider to the energy industry. He is currently involved with a small power-based carbon capture project as well as helping clients determine the best options for utilities decisions. He has been involved with CO2 dehydration and CO2 flood gas treating as well as acid gas injection projects for several years. Highlighted Achievements: Developed ORC geothermal model to determine the available power from wells in Alberta Acting on the Technical Advisory Board for E3 Metals, extracting lithium from formation water. Acted as a Subject Matter Expert for assessing the performance of the Plains Midstream Canada, Empress 1 Deep Cut Straddle Plant in a potential litigation. Acted as an Expert Witness for JL Transportation patent defence of a dense phase technology. Process engineer lead on the addition of the new Orloff gas plant for Deltastream. Also troubleshooted the oil battery shipping pump, plate exchanger and FWKO and treater. Evaluated gas processing and sulphur recovery options for new feeds to the Zhaikmunai Zelenovsky Gas Plant, Kazakhstan (with PM Lucas, Serbia). Completed capacity analysis for hydrocarbon dew point versus liquid recovery of three trains at Birchcliff Pouce Coupe facility including amine unit, refrigerated gas plant and acid gas injection. Completed process design for CO2 flue gas dehydration for Husky Energy Inc (with Status Engineering) Provided simulations of EnCana Foster Creek and Christina Lake and Husky McMullen SAGD facilities (with Vista Projects). Performed process engineering for Cenovus Pelican Lake SAGD pilot (with GRB Engineering) Bear Lake heavy oil polymer injection pilot (with GRB Engineering). Lead process engineer on the design of IEC Kerrobert crude oil micro-refinery (topping plant). Provided engineering support and troubleshooting for Enerchem Slave Lake Crude tower and product blending (with Status Engineering). POST TRAINING COACHING SUPPORT (OPTIONAL) To further optimise your learning experience from our courses, we also offer individualized 'One to One' coaching support for 2 hours post training. We can help improve your competence in your chosen area of interest, based on your learning needs and available hours. This is a great opportunity to improve your capability and confidence in a particular area of expertise. It will be delivered over a secure video conference call by one of our senior trainers. They will work with you to create a tailor-made coaching program that will help you achieve your goals faster. Request for further information post training support and fees applicable Accreditions And Affliations

The aim of this course is to provide project managers, project engineers and project support staff with a toolkit they can use on their projects. The tools range from the simple that can be used on all projects to the advanced that can be used where appropriate. This programme will help the participants to: Identify and engage with stakeholders Use tools for requirements gathering and scope management Produce better estimates using a range of techniques Develop more reliable schedules Effectively manage delivery DAY ONE 1 Introduction Overview of the programme Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 Stakeholder management Using PESTLE to aid stakeholder identification Stakeholder mapping The Salience model Stakeholder engagement grid 3 Requirements management Using prototypes and models to elucidate requirements Prioritising techniques Roadmaps Requirements traceability 4 Scope management Work breakdown structures Responsibility assignment matrix 5 Delivery approaches Sequential Agile 6 Estimating Comparative estimating Parametric Bottom-up Three-point estimating Delphi and Planning Poker Creating realistic budgets DAY TWO 7 Scheduling Critical path analysis Smoothing and levelling Timeboxing Team boards Monte Carlo simulations Probability of completion 8 People management Situational Leadership The Tuckman model Negotiation Conflict management Belbin 9 Monitoring and control Earned value management 10 Course review and action planning Identify actions to be implemented individually Conclusion PMI, CAPM, PMP and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

How to protect your cash flow In the current economic climate more and more companies are finding that their customers are taking longer to pay - or are not even paying at all. As cash flow is key to the survival of any business, effective debt collection tactics are vital for all businesses. This workshop concentrates on the telephone skills and techniques you can use to achieve the most positive outcome in any debt collection situation - payment of money owed, as soon as possible, whilst keeping the collection cost as low as possible. The course will help you: Understand your debtors and communicate with them accordingly Develop a strategy for more effective debt collection Make every call count Handle difficult calls Reduce the amount of time you need to spend on chasing payment Increase your collection rates 1 The debt collection process Understanding the reasons behind payment default Looking at the debt situation from the customer's point of view Developing a strategy for effective debt collection 2 Advanced telephone communication skills Techniques for speaking to the person responsible for paying the debt How to gain the customer's trust when discussing debt Telephone collection skills best practice Key phrases that keep the conversation positive and open 3 Questioning and listening skills for gathering information Different types of question Using high-gain questions to uncover key information Active listening that will help you understand what customers are really saying Leading with examples and high-impact questions Summarising and restating 4 Overcoming objections and excuses Identifying objections Preparing suitable responses Probing objections and ways to overcome them 5 Gaining commitment and ending the call Learn how to negotiate an agreement to suit both parties Summarising actions for you and the customer Ending the call professionally 6 Dealing with difficult and challenging situations Understand different personality types The correct way to respond to an upset customer Ways to calm angry customers (and handle verbal attacks) 7 Action plans Course summary and presentation of action plans