Course Offerings

This course provides a non-linear nature of software development and addresses the associated risks by encouraging a range of working practices. These practices are well accepted within the software industry and are evolved as a reaction to traditional project management methods.

Audience:

This course is designed for individuals who are Technical Team Members (such as Business Analysts, Technical Analysts, Systems Analysts, Project Managers, Quality Assurance Engineers, Programmers, and Documentation Specialists); main focus is for developers and testers, but others can benefit as long as they understand Agile Best Practices.

Duration: 3 days

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Clearly understand the principles and practices in assembling an effective, high performing team

• Identify the most appropriate architecture and design practices to suit your product, team, organization, and industry

• Learn how to apply the principles of Test Driven Development to build products that require shorter testing cycles

• Invest in your product’s lifespan through ruthless refactoring; creating products that are cheaper to maintain, require less feature recycling, and suffer less downtime

• Build products that are easily adaptable in feature, design, and function

• Minimize traditional project risks through the use of better predictive tools that allow for earlier course corrections

• Adapt to your customer’s evolving understanding of their needs and wants, without adversely affecting earlier delivery or product progress

• Minimize the hand-offs between development silos that result in longer cycle times and organizational constraints

• How to benefit from today’s continuous integration and testing automation software packages that enable shorter product development cycle times

• Explore the benefits and techniques of source code management without hindering collaboration and change responsiveness

• Discover the nature of quality in your product and then learn why focusing solely on the number of defects to define quality will lead to an unhappy customer

• Use the experiential data of team’s efforts to benefit subsequent design and development decisions

• Understand why attempting to “get it right the first time” often comes at the expense of getting it correct the last time

• Empower, and then enable your team to be responsible for total project success

Course Abstract:

As Agile practices move into the mainstream, more and more teams are attempting to run before they walk. Managers wonder, do my teams really know what is needed to be successful? The Agile Essentials course will give managers and teams the knowledge, and some experience through practice, of how Agile teams should operate to achieve the success that is so widely advertised. This course will get teams started with a solid foundation and is meant to be a beginning, not an end, of their Agile training and maturity.

Audience:

This course is designed for teams who are looking for a common understanding of Agile principles and practices. This will include newly formed Agile teams as well as experienced Agile teams who seem to be operating with a wide array of expectations.

Duration: 2 days

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Obtain a common understanding of Agile Principles and why they are important; specifically, how adhering to the Agile principles will help teams achieve the desired benefits

• Know the importance of transforming from individual goals and expectations to a team approach

• Transition to a customer oriented, rather than technology oriented, approach to product delivery

• Appreciate the best practices from a variety of Agile methodologies and how they can be incorporated together to establish the best processes for your team and organization

• Learn what other teams have done to achieve Agile success

• Build a consistent cadence for your team throughout product development and delivery

• Learn the context for the best practices identified, and know when they should be utilized for best results

Course Abstract:

Agile began as a grassroots movement to change the way software development was done. Agile places the team’s focus on increased collaboration, customer focus and team empowerment. Today, Agile has hit the mainstream, with companies of all sizes, and in all industries adopting the principle based approach to achieve better results. As teams and organizations consider adopting Agile, it is important for them to have a solid foundation of understanding of Agile upon which they can plan and build. The Agile Introduction course provides teams with that understanding, answering the relevant questions of Why Agile, What is Agile, and What Benefits will Agile bring if implemented correctly?

Audience:

This course is designed for individuals who are considering adopting Agile methods but lack the basic foundation of knowledge or experience to determine what Agile can offer their teams.

Duration: 1 day

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Learn the history and contributors to Agile

• Appreciate the Agile Manifesto and Principles and why our focus should change

• Transition to a customer oriented, rather than technology oriented, approach to product delivery

• Describe the Benefits of Agile that teams and companies seek and have achieved

• Learn the transition of traditional functional roles into the Agile team

• Review the many methodologies that are Agile and how teams can take the best from each of them to adapt for their team

• Walk through the Agile process of getting working software delivered

• Examine better methods of estimating that will help teams become more accurate

• Discuss Agile adoption strategies and what will contribute to Agile success

Course Abstract:

This course focuses on managing projects using an Agile approach. It is important that those responsible for managing projects with Agile teams understand the power behind the transition from task master to servant leader. It is not enough to assume that there is a quick and easy way to map traditional project management practices to “fit” into the Agile team environment. Participants will gain understanding and experience in transparent communication, managing expectations, metrics that drive the right behavior, removing impediments, and most importantly in helping the team to embrace continuous improvement. Best practices will be learned and practiced enabling the Project Manager to guide the team in the correct use of these practices in their team.

Audience:

This course is designed for individuals who are given responsibility for managing projects or teams utilizing Agile methods. The audience may extend beyond what traditional project management encompasses as Agile takes a different approach. Development Managers, QA Managers, PMO leadership, Project Managers, Program Managers and Product Managers will all benefit from this course.

Duration: 2 days

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Recognize Agile Principles and how these apply directly to managing the delivery of successful projects

• Clearly define the role of a Project Manager and their relationship to the team

• Appreciate why knowing your customer will contribute to delivering a better quality product

• Learn the keys to doubling productivity with your Agile team

• Know the difference between ‘command and control’ vs. ‘empower and inspire’ and how that makes a significant difference for team morale

• Build a consistent cadence for your team throughout product development and delivery

• Recognize how metrics drive behavior and what Agile metrics can influence positive team behavior and drive more effective results

Course Abstract:

Too often teams will send one or two individuals to be trained, expecting them to return and impact team performance. That expectation could be compared to a sports team sending one or two individuals to practice, expecting them to communicate appropriately to the team how to win during the upcoming game. Like a training camp for teams before each season, the Agile Training Camp is designed to be that opportunity for the team to practice together and lay the foundation for success. All aspects of planning, from vision down to daily planning are outlined. Prioritization and estimating techniques are taught, practiced and understood by the team together. The entire team shares in learning the importance and best methods of communication, cadence and transparency. By engaging in this practice and learning together, the team is prepared to execute together and achieve success much more quickly.

Audience:

This course is designed for teams at varying stages of Agile adoption who need an immersion session in the full framework of Agile practice (primarily based in Scrum with influence from other Agile methodologies). Bringing their actual work to the course, teams will gain understanding through practice from establishing a product vision down to managing the daily Scrum. Effective metrics and communication approaches are discussed and engaged. Particular attention is given to developing a team roadmap, enabling the team to undertake a successful approach to continuous improvement.

Duration: 3 days

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Know the importance of Agile principles and the benefits driving Agile adoption

• Experience engaging Scrum processes – with best practices from other Agile methodologies

• Map the appropriate Agile processes to what will fit best within their organization

• Build a model for team success based on shared learning within common context

• Create transparency in their tools and techniques for communication

• Empower and inspire their team to deliver outstanding results for their customers

Course Abstract:

In traditional software development projects testing is left to the end of the project. Testing resources are not involved up front and at times not even during the development phases of a project. Ultimately, testing is looked upon as the reason software projects are delivered late, and animosity between testing and development can arise. Agile Teams look to change the testing approach throughout the software development process. Testing resources collaborate with customers, product owners, developers and everyone who is part of delivering great solutions. While testing resources may be looked to as the experts in testing methods and tools, the team owns testing and quality together. It is truly a transition from test-last to test-driven development. This course will explore how to make that transition successfully.

Audience:

This course is designed for individuals who are interested in building quality into all phases of software projects. Testers, QA Engineers, Developers, Business Analysts, Technical Analysts, Project Managers, Scrum Masters and Managers will all benefit from this course.

Duration: 2 days

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Recognize Agile Principles and how these apply directly to software testing

• Clearly define the role of a Tester or Test Engineer on an Agile Team and appreciate the collective ownership of Quality by the team

• Appreciate why knowing your customer will contribute to delivering a better quality product

• Incorporate key practices behind Test-driven Development into their discipline

• Add valuable collaboration practices to their testing preparation and execution

• Build a consistent cadence of testing throughout product development and delivery

• Recognize the importance of test automation for Agile teams and the tools and practices that can make it possible

Course Abstract:

This course provides information on testing and its role in software quality. Quality is the collective responsibility of the team from business analyst to developer to tester to customer. Traditional waterfall “over-the-wall testing” can be inefficient and frustrating. We will discuss typical challenges and pitfalls in this traditional approach and start to contrast how Agile Teams test differently.

Audience:

This course is designed for individuals who are software testers.

Duration: 2 days

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Acknowledge that poor quality creates drag

• Integrate the Team into an Agile Testing mindset

• Identify hard & soft constraints to adopting Agile Testing

• Get the customer to participate in quality decisions

Course Abstract:

For Agile teams, and organizations, to be most successful, it is important to have the appropriate support and trust from management. Executives play a key role in removing obstacles, empowering teams, motivating and inspiring the organization to better serve their customers. In order to do that effectively, it is critical that a common understanding exists amongst the executives and across the teams. This forum will provide a foundation of Agile knowledge, both of principles and practice, which their teams will engage. Management will know what to expect and how to support the teams most effectively.

Audience:

This course is designed for managers and executives whose teams will be utilizing Agile methods to deliver outstanding results for their customers.

Duration: 4 hours

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Recognize Agile Principles and how these apply directly to managing the delivery of successful projects

• Clearly define the role of Executives in motivating and supporting Agile teams

• Appreciate the opportunity to face organizational transformation challenges, and how other organizations did the same

• Learn the greatest obstacles to your Agile team’s success

• Recognize how metrics drive behavior and what Agile metrics can influence positive team behavior and drive more effective results

• Gain a clear understanding of the five levels of planning and execution for Agile teams.

• Celebrate knowing that going Agile does not mean not knowing your future.

Course Abstract:

More than simply a methodology or approach to software development, Agile embraces a set of principles that drive more effective software development. Agile focuses on the customer, embraces the ever changing nature of business environments and encourages human interaction in delivering outstanding software. Agile Teams embrace cross-functional collaboration and understand that the individual succeeds only when the team succeeds. We will discuss how to form the Agile Team, appropriate teams size and how the Product Owner fits in. The Agile framework embraces a methodical process of planning that goes into 5 levels of detail. Rather than mistakenly getting to the details too soon of ever-changing requirements, Agile planning helps us focus on the right level of detail for the right priorities at the appropriate time. These key elements will come together to give the team a level of confidence that they can deliver the necessary requirements for a product release in what is normally a fixed timeframe.

Audience:

This course is designed for individuals who are project managers.

Duration: 2 days

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Gain an overview of Agile

• Form the Agile team

• Discuss the role of the product owner

• Learn the levels of planning

• Define the customer

• Create the product backlog

• Write user stories

• Organize a product roadmap

• Prioritize the product backlog

• Learn the estimating process

• Learn release planning

• Learn detail requirements

• Discuss how product owners can be engaged with the team as they execute the iteration and provide the right deliverables and measurements to make the right decisions about the product

• Learn to develop retrospectives

• Discuss implementation strategies

Course Abstract:

Delivering a high quality software product relies upon understanding customer expectations throughout the development lifecycle. Rather than communicating requirements once up front and putting change control processes in place to resist change, Agile methods encourage continuous collaboration and adaptation to ever changing requirements.  Very much like the process engaged in building a house, communication between customer and builder are important throughout the cycle to finish with the best quality product. This course will teach participants how to effectively gather, appropriately document, and managing evolving requirements throughout the product development and delivery cycles on an Agile team.

Audience:

This course is designed for individuals who are responsible for delivering outstanding technology results for their customers. Business Analysts have traditionally been responsible for gathering, documenting and communicating requirements. On an Agile team, all team members are responsible for collaborating requirements.

Business Analysts, Technical Analysts, Systems Analysts, Project Managers, Quality Assurance Engineers, Programmers, Documentation Specialists

Duration: 2 days

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Ensure that a correct and complete understanding of Agile principles is at the foundation of their practice/process

• Reveal the value of knowing their customer and why the team needs that focus to deliver the best results possible

• Capture customer requirements using User Stories

• Recognize the significant benefits of User Stories

• Engage with their customer’s and peers in effective forums for collaboration

• Appreciate the important and appropriate role of documentation of requirements in an Agile team

• Transform product demos from an end-state to one of the most effective requirements gathering forums

• Implement a process that embraces the ever changing nature of software requirements

Course Abstract:

This course provides a powerful three-day workplace simulation based on a real project, and gives participants actual experience with multiple, and sometimes simultaneous, organizational and personal changes, which they learn to work through successfully. Do you want to affect organizational changes more quickly? Garner greater employee commitment? Minimize organizational disruption? Reduce resistance to change and achieve more with every organizational change? Organizations don’t change until people change. More specifically, leaders of organizations define and create the organizational culture. In the intense dedication of trying to make organizational changes succeed, it is easy to forget that until the people change, nothing does.

Participants’ new skills can be applied within their teams immediately to accomplish more effective and timely organizational changes.

Audience:

This course is designed for individuals who are managers, executives or team members who influence organizational change and want to affect positive change quickly and efficiently.

Duration: 3 days

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to experience, practice, and become naturally skilled in these five competencies:

• The Transition Process – The difference between change and transition. The eight stages of transition that everyone must go through. Timing differences – why managers lose control of change. All changes are personal first, then organizational.

• The Creative Process – The 5-steps of the creative process. The crucial step of creativity – and the one we are most likely to forget.

• LEVERaging Transitions – How to help yourself and others through transitions. The five principles of applying LEVERage. Making transitions quicker, less disruptive, and with better results.

• Guiding Transitions – How to manage transitions; how to lead transitions. How to guide transitions – and why this is the most useful skill of all.

• Crossing Points of No Return – Making final decisions as you go. Reducing options and alternatives – permanently. Making irrevocable commitments – the key to good transitions.

Course Abstract:

This highly interactive two day session has been designed to give you the ability to experience first-hand what it is like to be part of a Scrum team. Arrive prepared to face the challenges every ScrumMaster encounters and leave with the knowledge of how to handle each situation. This course is high energy and contains numerous exercises that require attendee full participation. The instructor will help each of you whether brand new to Scrum or adapting to a Scrum implementation identify what is required within each Scrum team member role, learn about Scrum reporting and meetings, and how to return to your organization with a fresh way of approaching complex projects successfully applying the Scrum framework to achieve success.

Upon successful completion of this course, each participant will be enrolled as a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM). Your certification will be registered and includes a one-year Scrum Alliance membership. The Scrum Alliance is home to additional ScrumMaster-only material as well as the latest in Scrum information and course offerings.

Professional Development Units (PDUs):  PMPs: You are eligible to receive 14 PDUs for this course.

Audience:

This course is designed for individuals who are Managers, Designers, Developers, Testers, Analysts, Executives, Project Managers and IT Professionals.

Duration: 2 days

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• How to be an effective Scrum Master

Course Abstract:

This course provides a chance for Product Owners to interact with a Certified Scrum Trainer to learn best practices with regard to their Scrum implementation.  The class will participate in various exercises designed to zoom in on pain points and help bring resolution to the group with regard to the role and responsibilities of the Product Owner.  The team will be invited to participate in multiple exercises where they will be allowed to encounter real-world scenarios that Scrum teams encounter and leave with the knowledge of how to handle each situation.

Each participant will leave with a manual to serve as a reference document which can be used to reinforce best practices when it comes to implementing Scrum and a two year membership to the Scrum Alliance.  Upon successful completion of the Certification Examination offered by the Scrum Alliance, each participant will be recognized as a Certified Scrum Product Owner.

Professional Development Units (PDUs):  PMPs: You are eligible to receive 14 PDUs for this course.

Audience:

This course is designed for individuals who are product owners, managers, or anyone interested in Agile planning and estimating techniques.

Prior knowledge of Scrum and Agile methods is required. You should have attended the Certified ScrumMaster class and/or have actively worked on a Scrum team and have a good understanding of the basics.

Duration: 2 days

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Embark on any Scrum Engagement in the role of Product Owner.