Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Program - Become Green Belt Certified: On-Demand This course explores the DMAIC process in depth and enables you to achieve IIL's Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification. DMAIC is the foundation of Lean Six Sigma and process improvement. The incremental steps of "Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control" give structure and guidance to improving quality, performance, and productivity. Green Belt is not just a role, it is also a competency required for leadership positions at many top companies. This learning series is designed to enable participants to fulfill the important role of a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and to incorporate the Lean Six Sigma mindset into their leadership skills. With a real-world project focus, the series will teach the fundamental methodology, tools, and techniques of the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control Process Improvement Methodology. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Identify strategies for effectively leading high performing process improvement teams Analyze whether projects align with business strategy Apply process improvement methodologies to DMAIC steps, based on real world scenarios Explain ways to appropriately respond to process variation Distinguish among best practice problem solving methodologies Evaluate and effectively communicate data-driven decisions, based on real world scenarios Introduction Lean Six Sigma & quality The vision The methodologies The metric Project Selection Why Projects Random idea generation Targeted idea generation CTQs (Critical to Quality) & projects Project screening criteria Quick improvements Introduction to Define Project Planning Developing the core charter Developing a project charter Facilitation Process Management Business process management Top-down process mapping Voice of the Customer Voice of Customer Stakeholder analysis Communication planning Kicking off the project Introduction to Measure Data Collection Fact-based decision making Data sampling Operations definitions Data collection plan Measurement system analysis Graphical Statistics for Continuous Data Meet Six SigmaXL Graphical & statistical tools Data stratification Graphical Statistics for Discrete Data Pareto analysis Dot plots Plotting data over time: Looking for patterns Variation Concepts Variation is reality Special Cause and Common Cause variation Example of standard business reporting Individuals Control Chart Process Capability Genesis of process capability Calculating the metrics of Six Sigma Yield metrics: Measuring process efficiency Cost of Poor Quality The Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) Cost of Quality categories Calculating the Cost of Poor Quality Introduction to Analyze Process Analysis Introduction to process analysis Value-added analysis Cycle time analysis WIP & pull systems Analyzing bottlenecks and constraints Cause & Effect Analysis Fishbone/Ishikawa diagram 5-Whys analysis Graphical & statistical tools Advanced Analysis Why use hypothesis tests? Hypothesis tests Correlation and regression analysis Introduction to Improve Solutions Creativity techniques Generating alternative solutions Solution selection techniques Introduction to Design of Experiments Introduction to DOE DOE activity Error Proofing Failure mode & effect analysis Poka-Yoke Project Management Fundamentals Successful teams Project roles Conflict management Standardization Standardization The Visual Workplace 5S Piloting & Verifying Result What is a pilot? Evaluating results Introduction to Control Statistical Process Control Review of Special & Common Cause variation Review of Individual Control Chart P-Chart for discrete proportion data Transition Planning Control plan Project closure
This is a demonstration carried out by the late Charles Tebbetts when he was at his best facilitating this therapy for a former epileptic, using both regression and parts therapy - with a resulting success that lasted for nine years before another follow-up was needed.
How to be a Great Executive Sponsor: On-Demand This three-hour course provides key tips and techniques for becoming an actively engaged, and impactful, Executive Sponsor of projects and programs. It will explain not just what your role is, but the very specific actions you can, and must, take to increase your project's probability of success. This three-hour course provides key tips and techniques for becoming an actively engaged, and impactful, Executive Sponsor of projects and programs. It will explain not just what your role is, but the very specific actions you can, and must, take to increase your project's probability of success. And, it will highlight the key personality and other traits that are found in successful Sponsors. Regardless if you're sponsoring an Agile software development project, a construction megaproject, or any other type of project in between, this course will help get you 'hit the ground running' and being an 'impact player' on day one. Various activities and discussions will acquaint you with this important role and what you need to do to become a great executive sponsor. What you Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Define project success so everyone is 'singing from the same sheet of music' Immediately apply the ten key attributes of a great sponsor on your project Recognize great sponsorship and determine if you're the right fit for the role Practice Sponsorship over the course of the project life cycle by engaging in very specific actions and activities Be a better investment manager by analyzing the behaviors of successful activist investors Foundation Concepts The quantifiable benefits of being an actively engaged Sponsor Sponsor defined Clarence Kelly Johnson and the SR-71 Blackbird: An example of the power of Sponsorship Defining Project Success Project success: More than meeting the triple constraints Benefits management: The Sponsor's focus The Investment - Life-cycle vs. the Project Life-cycle The three questions Sponsors need to ask to define project success 10 Key Attributes of a Great Sponsor 10 Key Attributes of a Great Sponsor The Makings of a Great Sponsor The most important skills and competencies of an executive sponsor What great Sponsors do and when Four Things a Great Sponsor Can Learn from an Activist Investor The story of Outerwall, Inc. and Glen Welling of Engaged Capital, LLC Sponsors and Activist Investors Sponsorship of the 2nd Avenue Subway in Manhattan: A classic textbook example
Politics and Project Management - Turn Project Politics into a Positive Force for Project Objectives: On-Demand The goal of this course is to provide project managers with a strong working ability to recognize and successfully navigate organizational politics for the good of projects. What You Will Learn You'll learn how to: Explain how positive politics are a valuable method for getting things done in projects Apply positive political principles and techniques in an ethical manner Use politically sound strategies, tools, and techniques for positive achievement of project objectives Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Introduction to Project Politics Framing project politics Characterizing project politics Distinguishing self-interest from project politics Political Skills in Projects Embracing positive politics Identifying political competencies in projects Exploring personal political competencies Politics and Power in Projects Positioning power in projects Exploring sources of power Comparing power and influence Developing strategies for power and influence Project Politics and Conflict Facing conflict - a fact of life Turning conflict into a positive force Channeling conflict into good decisions Resolving conflict in and around project politics Tackling deeper conflicts Managing conflict that escalates Summary What did we learn and how can we implement this in our work environments? Creating your own personal action plan
Project Management Metrics, Key Performance Indicators, and Dashboards: On-Demand The ultimate purpose of metrics and dashboards is not to provide more information, but to provide the right information to the right person at the right time using the correct media and in a cost effective manner. This is certainly a challenge. As computer technology has grown, so has the ease by which information can be generated and presented to management and stakeholders. Today, everyone seems concerned about information overload. Unfortunately, the real issue is non-information overload. In other words, there are too many useless reports which cannot easily be read and which provide readers with too much information, much of which may have no relevance. We are now struggling to find better ways of communicating. Our focus today is on the unique needs of the receiver of the information. The need to make faster and better decisions mandates better information. Humans have a variety of ways by which they can absorb information. We must address all of these ways in the selection of the metrics and the design of the dashboards. The three most important words in a stakeholder's vocabulary are, 'Making informed decisions.' This is usually the intent of effective stakeholder relations management. Unfortunately, this cannot be accomplished without an effective information system based upon meaningful and informative metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). For decades we believed that the only information that needed to be passed on to the client and the stakeholders were information related to time and cost. Today, we realize that true project status cannot be determined from time and cost alone. Each project may require its own unique metrics and key performance indicators. The future of project management may very well be metric-driven project management. Information design has finally come of age. Effective communications is the essence of information design. Today, we have many small companies that are specialists in information design. Larger companies may maintain their own specialist team and call these people graphic designers, information architects or interaction designers. These people maintain expertise in the visual display of both quantitative and qualitative information necessary for informed decision-making. Traditional communications and information flow has always been based upon tables, charts and indexes that were hopefully organized properly by the designer. Today, information or data graphics combines points, lines, charts, symbols, images, words, numbers, shades and a symphony of colors to convey the right message easily. What we know with certainty is that dashboards and metrics are never an end in themselves. They go through continuous improvement and are constantly updated. In a project management environment, each receiver of information can have different requirements and may request different information during the life cycle of the project. What You Will Learn Gain a better understanding of why metrics management has grown Develop a deeper understanding that there are different types of metrics and KPIs, and that not all metrics should be reported to the client or stakeholders Understand how effective metrics, when combined with dashboards, can facilitate the decision-making process Understand the complexities with dashboard design Be able to identify how many metrics are necessary and how too many metrics can create communication Understand the need for value-based metrics Understand the critical issues with the implementation of a metrics management program Understanding Value-Based Metrics Targets and Measurements Graphical Displays of Metrics and KPIs Understanding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Understanding Metrics The Driving Forces for Better Metrics Changing Times: The Growth of PM 2.0 Understanding Dashboards Metric Management Systems Metric Management Systems Benefits of a Metric Management Program
Time Management and Productivity - Organizing and Prioritizing to Get Things Done!: On-Demand Effective time management reduces stress and helps you better adhere to commitments. This course is designed to help you identify personal and organizational priorities and gain better control of where you focus your attention. You will explore the importance of planning and organizing, and you will practice sorting through and setting priorities. You will also learn how to set better time boundaries and manage the demands of others. Working with a time management framework, you will use a set of practical techniques to organize and manage your work to better deliver on your commitments. Techniques for overcoming procrastination will be addressed, as well as strategies for dealing with information overload. What You Will Learn You'll learn how to: Plan and prioritize each day's activities in a more efficient, productive manner Establish strategies to execute priorities and overcome procrastination Understand how to make trade-offs when faced with fire drills How to set and communicate boundary conditions Getting Started Introductions Course orientation Participants expectations Foundation Concepts Exercise: A Day in Your Life Resources to implement change MindsetToolsetSkillset What is your time really worth? The dynamics of procrastination The myth of multi-tasking Brain Rules - how to optimize your efficiency Organization and Prioritization Time management best practices Goal setting Exercise: Identifying Your Priorities The importance of organization Time management framework Prioritizing time Time Management Techniques Tips for managing time Nine ways to overcome procrastination The STING technique Managing your time Handling unplanned urgenciesDealing with information overload Delegation and managing others time Creating your personal action plan Summary What did we learn, and how can we implement this in our work environment?
Assuring Quality Through Acceptance Testing - Making Sure that the Business Problem is Solved: On-Demand It is the business analyst's job to define the business problem to be solved by IT. It is also the business analyst's responsibility to confirm that the resulting solution developed by IT does, in fact, solve the defined problem. This is done first through testing, especially acceptance testing, and then through monitoring of the installed solution in the user community. The business analyst is not only concerned with the testing itself, but also with the management and monitoring of the users doing the acceptance testing, and recording, analyzing, and evaluating the results. What You Will Learn Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to: Create a set of acceptance test cases Manage and monitor an acceptance test stage where users perform the testing Work with the development team in the systems testing stage Assess the solution once it is in the business environment Foundation Concepts The role of the business analyst An introduction to the BABOK® Guide BA roles and relationships through the project life cycle Introduction to assuring software quality through acceptance testing The Scope of IT Testing Overview of testing stages The testing process Testing documentation Pre-Acceptance Testing The BA's role in testing Early development testing stages (unit and integration) Late development testing stage (system) The Acceptance Test Stage - Part I (Planning, Design, and Development) Overview of user acceptance testing Acceptance test planning Designing user acceptance tests Developing individual user acceptance test cases Building effective user acceptance test scenarios The Acceptance Test Stage - Part II (Execution and Reporting) Operating guidelines Execution Reporting Post-Acceptance Testing Overview Project implementation Project transition (project closure) Production through retirement Testing Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Software Overview Selecting the software Implementing the software Summary What did we learn and how can we implement this in our work environments?
What Executives and Managers Need to Know about the Future of Project Management: On-Demand Project management practices, just like other management practices, have undergone changes over the past five decades. Executives in both government agencies and private industry are now realizing that project management is not just a career path position for workers, but a strategic competency necessary for the future of their organization. The goal is not merely to work on projects, but to create sustainable business value and benefits, and to be able to make rapid decisions based upon evidence and facts rather than guesses. This will require senior managers to implement some changes in how projects will be managed. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Understand the changes that will be taking place Understand what must be done to implement these changes Understand the benefits of implementing these changes Part 1: Executive issues with project management Part 2: Executive appreciation for project management grows Part 3 The nine pillars of modern project management Part 4: Benefits and value metrics Part 5: The need for intangible metrics Part 6: Benefit harvesting Part 7: The need for strategic metrics Part 8: Graphical display of metrics Part 9: Understanding dashboards