This two-day programme gives the key insights and understanding of contracting principles and the impact they have on business and operations. The course is designed for individuals involved in or supporting contracting who want to improve their commercial management skills; individuals in functions such as project management, business development, finance, operations who need practical training in commercial management; general audiences wanting to gain a basic understanding of commercial management. This is an assessed programme, leading to the International Association for Contracts & Commercial Management (IACCM)'s coveted Contract and Commercial Management Associate (CCMA) qualification. The programme addresses 31 different subject areas, across the five stages of the contracting process. By the end of the course the participants will be able, among other things, to: Develop robust contract plans, including scope of work and award strategies Conduct effective contracting activities, including ITT, RFP, negotiated outcomes Negotiate effectively with key stakeholders, making use of the key skills of persuading and influencing and to work with stakeholders to improve outcomes Set up and maintain contract management systems Take a proactive approach to managing contracts Make effective use of lessons learned to promote improvements from less than optimal outcomes, using appropriate templates Develop and monitor appropriate and robust Key Performance Indicators to manage the contractor and facilitate improved performance Understand the approvals process and how to develop and present robust propositions Make appropriate use of best practice contract management tools, techniques and templates DAY ONE 1 Introductions Aims Objectives Plan for the day 2 Commercial context Explaining the contracting context Define the key objective The importance of contact management Impact upon the business 3 Stakeholders How to undertake stakeholder mapping and analysis Shared vision concept, How to engage with HSE, Finance, Operations 4 Roles and responsibilities Exploring the key roles and responsibilities of contract administrators, HSE, Finance, Divisional managers, etc 5 Initiating the contract cycle Overview of the contracting cycle Requirement to tender Methods Rationale and exceptions 6 Specifications Developing robust scope of works Use of performance specifications Output based SOW 7 Strategy and award criteria Developing a robust contract strategy Award submissions/criteria 8 Managing the tender process Review the pre-qualification process Vendor registration rules and processes Creation of bidder lists Evaluation, short listing, and how to use of the 10Cs© model template and app 9 Types of contract Classify the different types of contracts Call-offs Framework agreement Price agreements Supply agreements 10 The contract I: price Understanding contract terms Methods of compensation Lump sum, unit price, cost plus, time and materials, alternative methods Cost plus a fee, target cost, gain share contracts Advanced payments Price escalation clauses DAY TWO 11 Risk How to manage risks Risk classification Mitigation of contractual risks 12 Contractor relationship management session Effectively managing relationships with contractors, Types of relationships Driving forces? Link between type of contract and style of relationship 13 Disputes Dealing with disputes Conflict resolution Negotiation Mediation Arbitration 14 Contract management Measuring and improving contract performance Using KPIs and SLAs Benchmarking Cost controls 15 The contract II: terms and conditions Contract terms and conditions Legal aspects Drafting special terms 16 Managing claims and variations How to manage contract and works variations orders Identifying the causes of variations Contractor claims process 17 Completion Contract close-out process Acceptance/completion Capture the learning/HSE Final payments, evaluation of performance 18 Close Review Final assessment
Wouldn't sales be a 'walk in the park' without challenging customers? Why is it that some customers are so difficult to please, so quick to call 'foul' at the slightest blip and so mean with their gratitude after we've bent over backwards to accommodate them? Whether we are looking at prospective or existing customers, there is a toolkit for dealing with the most challenging of them. This course will help participants: Use broad open questions to give the customer a platform for their opinions or issues Improve listening skills to really understand what's behind the customer's challenging style Probe specific phrases to show listening and earn deeper disclosure Use silence to let challenging customers 'blow off steam' Understand the negative impact of certain phrases on a challenging customer Summarise effectively and reassure the customer of our understanding of their needs Recognise the 'behaviour cycle' and avoid emotional escalation Understand 'transactional analysis' and how to bring people from 'child' to 'adult' state Create loyalty in customers who are slow to give trust 1 What makes a customer 'challenging'? Why customers challenge us - understanding their drivers 'Wearing their shoes' - seeing things from their perspective Understanding our own personality style How to flex with a style that is different from our own Ways to quickly recognise a customer's style The benefits of flexing with a challenging customer's style 2 Practical exercise - forum theatre Participants take it in turns to deal with the trainer (who plays the role of the challenging customer) Observers stop the action when they hear or see something they deem wrong The participant in the seat gets a chance to use a suggested alternative line The participant who makes the suggestion has the chance to occupy the seat and deliver it themselves Frequent feedback from the trainer as to how the participant's words are making him feel Opportunities to rewind the action if an ill-advised line is suggested and delivered Flipchart for capturing what worked, what didn't work and why Mehrabian principle - the importance of body language and tone over words used 3 Questioning and listening skills How to use open questions to get the customer talking What questions to avoid and why The use of pauses and silence to reduce tension and build trust What listening is and what it isn't Question funnelling - how to earn deeper disclosure through probing The power of summary 4 Transactional analysis explained What is transactional analysis (TA)? Exploring the TA states and why people behave in that way under pressure How to bring challenging customers to 'adult' state to reduce tension How 'parent' or 'child' behaviours can be inadvertently triggered Understanding the 'behavioural cycle' and how to break it Mini-role play 'vignettes' to demonstrate real time impact of ill-chosen words 5 How to build trust with challenging customers Techniques for placating current challenging customers Methods that the participants have already used effectively - understanding why those methods worked and how other participants can model them Participants' experiences of trust having been lost - understanding why those experiences had that negative outcome How to 'go the extra mile' with challenging customers 6 Bringing a 'real' challenging customer to life Participants give the trainer a brief profile of a specific challenging customer of theirs 5-10 minute roleplay in which the trainer brings that individual to life Observing participants - without interrupting - make notes on what is and isn't working Trainer stops the action half-way through to give feedback on how he is feeling Participant goes back into the roleplay having recalibrated their approach based on feedback Observers give feedback on what did and didn't work Trainer comes out of character to explain the impact of the participant's words and behaviours 7 Wrap-up Key learnings from each participant Individual action planning - steps that can and will be implemented in the workplace
The Level 3 International Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies (L3IFDHES) is usually a one-year pre-university qualification that provides students with an entry route to an overseas university. The L3IFDHES prepares students with the essential English language skills, key transferable study skills, cultural knowledge, and chosen specialisms that universities feel bridges the gap between high school and undergraduate study. In January 2023 we offer pathways in business and higher finance. With agreements in place with over 70 universities across the globe, students’ can progress with confidence to a higher education course for further study. Entry Requirements For entry onto the NCC Education Level 3 International Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies (L3IFDHES) qualification students must have successfully completed secondary school education. Students must also meet the English language entry requirements of: • IELTS minimum score of 4.5 or above OR • GCE ‘O’ Level English D7 or above Alternatively, a student can take the free NCC Education Higher English Placement Test which is administered by our Accredited Partner Centre’s.
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
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
In-house training courses on electric and hydrogen vehicle technologies, charging infrastructure and how they work.
Satellite communications training course description This course starts by recaping some of the essential satellite knowledge required and proceeds to explore the deeper aspects of satellite communications, including hardware, communications and error control coding. What will you learn Explain how satellite communications work. Explain how RF works Explain the architecture of satellite systems. Use spectrum analysers. Satellite communications training course details Who will benefit: Anyone working with satellite systems. Prerequisites: None. Duration 3 days Satellite communications training course contents Basic Principles of Satellite Communications GEO, MEO and LEO satellites. Launching and orbits. Frequency bands and polarisation. Satellite footprints. Multibeam coverage. Power spectra. Link budgets. Modulation and coding. Access technologies. Earth station components. Space segment components. Satellite system services. Satellite operators. Radio frequency propagation Electromagnetic waves principles and generation. Reception of the EM wave. Space wave, sky wave and surface wave theory. The isotropic radiator. Types of antennae and their basic properties. Polar diagrams. International frequency allocation. Spectrum management and utilisation. Radio wave propagation. Line of sight propagation. Propagation for satellite comms. Free space path loss. Path attenuation. Noise and Interference. Power and its measurement. Satellite antennae and other hardware Power flux density. Effective aperture. Horn antennae. Parabolic reflector. Offset feed. Cassegrain and Gregorian antennae. Antenna feed systems - Horn, TMC, OMJ and polarizer. Antenna steering and mount systems. Array antennae. LNA, LNB, LNC. Microwave tubes - TWT and Klystron. Polarizers. Earth and Space Segments and the link Earth station antennae. Transponders. Antennae sub systems. Power supplies. Link budgets. System noise. System losses. Interference. Satellite switching. Ground Communications Equipment Baseband signals. Analogue and Digital systems. Overview of modulation - AM, FM, PM. Digital Modulation. Frequency conversion -up and down conversion. Filters, mixers, local oscillators, IF amplifiers and group delay equalisers. Access methods - single and multiple access systems. Data networks. Television transmission - analogue and digital. Digital signal compression. MPEG processing. Satellite Navigation Longitude, latitude, altitude, GPS, How GPS works, timing, alternatives to GPS. Mobile satellite services Voice and Phones, BGAN, TV, GPS to program aerial, VSAT. Error Control Coding The need for coding. Linear block codes. Cyclic codes. Convolution codes. Interleaving and concatenated codes. Coding gain. Turbo codes. Test and measurement Theory and practice of Spectrum Analysers.
Network DevOps course description This course is not a soft skills course covering the concepts of DevOps but instead concentrates on the technical side of tools and languages for network DevOps. Particular technologies focussed on are ansible, git and Python enabling delegates to leave the course ready to starting automating their network. Hands on sessions follow all major sections. More detailed courses on individual aspects of this course are available. What will you learn Evaluate network automation tools. Automate tasks with ansible. Use git for version control. Use Python to manage network devices. Use Python libraries for network devices. Network DevOps course details Who will benefit: Administrators automating tasks. Prerequisites: TCP/IP Foundation Duration 5 days Network DevOps course contents What is DevOps Programming and automating networks, networks and clouds, AWS, OpenStack, SDN, DevOps for network operations. Initial configuration Configuring SSH, ZTP, POAP. Hands on Initial lab configuration. Getting started with ansible The language, the engine, the framework. Uses of ansible, orchestration. The architecture, Controlling machines, nodes, Agentless, SSH, modules. Configuration management, inventories, playbooks, modules, roles. Hands on Installing ansible, running ad hoc commands. Ansible playbooks ansible-playbook, YAML, plays, tasks, handlers, modules. Playbook variables. Register module, debug module. Hands on Running playbooks. Ansible Inventories /etc/ansible/hosts, hosts, groups, static inventories, dynamic inventories. Inventory variables, external variables. Limiting hosts. Hands on Static inventories, variables in inventory files. Ansible modules for networking Built in modules, custom modules, return values. Core modules for network operations. Cisco and/or Juniper modules. ansible_connection. Ansible 2.6 CLI. Hands on Using modules. Ansible templating and roles aConfiguration management, full configurations, partial configurations. The template module, the assemble module, connection: local, Jinja2 templates, variables, if, for, roles. Hands on Generating multiple configurations from a template. Network programming and modules Why use Python? Why use ansible? alternatives, ansible tower, Linux network devices. Programming with Python Python programming Functions. Classes, objects and instances, modules, libraries, packages. Python strings, Python file handling, pip list, pip instal. Hands on Python programming with pyping. More Python programming Functions. Classes, objects and instances, modules, libraries, packages. Python strings, Python file handling, pip list, pip install. Hands on Python programming with pyping. Git Distributed version control, repositories, Git and GitHub, Alternatives to GitHub, Installing git, git workflows, creating repositories, adding and editing files, branching and merging, merge conflicts. Hands on working with Git. Python and networking APIs, Sockets, Telnetlib, pysnmp, ncclient, ciscoconfparse. Paramiko SSH and Netmiko Integrating Python and network devices using SSH. Netmiko, Netmiko methods. Hands on Netmiko. NAPALM What is NAPALM, NAPALM operations, getters, Replace, merge, compare, commit, discard. Hands on Configuration with NAPALM. Integrating ansible and NAPALM. Python and REST REST APIs, enabling the REST API. Accessing the REST API with a browser, cURL, Python and REST, the request library. Hands on Using a REST API with network devices.
Network automation course description This course is not a soft skills course covering the concepts of DevOps but instead concentrates on the technical side of tools and languages for network DevOps. Particular technologies focussed on are ansible, git and Python enabling delegates to leave the course ready to starting automating their network. Hands on sessions follow all major sections. More detailed courses on individual aspects of this course are available. What will you learn Evaluate network automation tools. Automate tasks with ansible. Use git for version control. Use Python to manage network devices. Use Python libraries for network devices. Network automation course details Who will benefit: Network engineers. Prerequisites: TCP/IP foundation for engineers. Duration 5 days Network automation course contents What is DevOps Programming and automating networks, networks and clouds, AWS, OpenStack, SDN, DevOps for network operations. Initial configuration Configuring SSH, ZTP, POAP. Hands on Initial lab configuration. Getting started with ansible The language, the engine, the framework. Uses of ansible, orchestration. The architecture, Controlling machines, nodes, Agentless, SSH, modules. Configuration management, inventories, playbooks, modules, roles. Hands on Installing ansible, running ad hoc commands. Ansible playbooks ansible-playbook, YAML, plays, tasks, handlers, modules. Playbook variables. Register module, debug module. Hands on Running playbooks. Ansible Inventories /etc/ansible/hosts, hosts, groups, static inventories, dynamic inventories. Inventory variables, external variables. Limiting hosts. Hands on Static inventories, variables in inventory files. Ansible modules for networking Built in modules, custom modules, return values. Core modules for network operations. Cisco and/ or Juniper modules. ansible_connection. Ansible 2.6 CLI. Hands on Using modules. Ansible templating and roles Configuration management, full configurations, partial configurations. The template module, the assemble module, connection: local, Jinja2 templates, variables, if, for, roles. Hands on Generating multiple configurations from a template. Network programming and modules Why use Python? Why use ansible? alternatives, ansible tower, Linux network devices. Programming with Python Scripting versus application development, Python interactive mode, Python scripts, Python 2.7 vs Python 3. A simple Python script. Variables, loops, control statements, operators. PEP style guide. Python IDEs. Hands on Simple Python programs. More Python programming Functions. Classes, objects and instances, modules, libraries, packages. Python strings, Python file handling, pip list, pip install, Hands on Python programming with pyping. Git Distributed version control, repositories, Git and GitHub, Alternatives to GitHub, Installing git, git workflows, creating repositories, adding and editing files, branching and merging, merge conflicts. Hands on working with Git. Python and networking APIs, Sockets, Telnetlib, pysnmp, ncclient, ciscoconfparse. Paramiko SSH and Netmiko Integrating Python and network devices using SSH. Netmiko, Netmiko methods. Hands on Netmiko. PyEZ Juniper, NETCONF, installing PyEZ, a first pyEZ script, pyEZ configuration management. Hands on Juniper configuration management with pyEZ. NAPALM What is NAPALM, NAPALM operations, getters, Replace, merge, compare, commit, discard. Hands on Configuration with NAPALM. Integrating ansible and NAPALM. Python and REST REST APIs, enabling the REST API. Accessing the REST API with a browser, cURL, Python and REST, the request library. Hands on Using a REST API with network devices.