15 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com ASPE Inc. SDLC division is a national provider of IT and professional skills training for project managers, Business analyst professionals, agile methodology pratitioners, software testers en-us 130 50 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/graphics/ASPE-SDLC-logo.gif Happy Holidays from ASPE! Enjoy November and December savings for you or your team! You can take all three courses yourself, or you can train a team of three for the cost of two. Get the training you and your team need to succeed! This once a year deal is meant to ensure that you and your team get the training you need to be successful and competitive. Click link for more details! http://www.aspeinc.com/3for2.php http://www.aspeinc.com/3for2.php Welcome back to the second installment of “Running a Scrum Team Like a Business?” In this three part series I am examining the eight characteristics of reengineered business processes, as described in Hammer and Champy’s “Reengineering the Corporation,” and how they are present in organizations that have adopted Scrum. Last time we looked at how “Several jobs are combined into one” and “Workers make decisions.” This week we are going to focus on the middle three characteristics. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1623 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1623 You don’t hear as much about them anymore, but in 1993 Michael Hammer and James Champy kicked-off the business process reengineering movement when they released “Reengineering the Corporation; A Manifesto for Business Revolution.” I use “Reengineering the Corporation” as my course text when I teach Business Process Modeling at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. One of my clients from UAB, Jerry Robbins (we call them clients rather than students), and I are currently working together outside of the classroom. I am coaching his team through their Scrum adoption. The other day Jerry was re-reading “Reengineering the Corporation” and he noticed something very interesting. In chapter three, entitled “Rethinking Business Process,” Hammer and Champy discuss what a reengineered business process looks like. They give us eight characteristics such as “several jobs are combined into one” to help illustrate the differences from the old business process to the new. Jerry shared with me an interesting fact: with me all eight characteristics are present in organizations that have adopted Scrum. In this multi-part series, I am going to examine the eight characteristics of reengineered business processes and how they are present in organizations that have adopted Scrum. This week I am going to focus on the first two of the eight characteristics... http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1536 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1536 Do you want a $2,000, $1,000 or $500 grant for your IIBA® chapter? Do you have the best IIBA chapter? Well now is your time to shine! Take part in ASPE’s National IIBA Chapter Challenge for a chance to win up to $2,000 to use however your IIBA chapter sees fit.We understand how important local chapters are, and we want to show our continuing support for the IIBA and its members. In order to win the grants, all you have to do is vote for your favorite IIBA chapter at IIBA-Chapter-Challenge.questionpro.com. Voting will open October 11, 2010, and end on November 5, 2010. Voting is simple, quick, and you can easily forward the link to your colleagues and fellow members… http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/ http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/ Have you ever tried to answer this question: “What exactly is it that you do for a living?” It’s a question I’m asked often, especially when my parents are venturing off to their annual commute to the south to avoid the harsh winter weather of the north. My mother asks me this every year. “Can you please tell me what you do, so I can tell my friends when they ask?” I always chuckle, and then try my best to explain it. It’s not an easy occupation to describe. Or perhaps you are like many Business Analysts attending our training courses these days, where you and your boss aren’t sure what you should be doing… http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1443 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1443 Brian Rabon contributes some thoughts on aligning your company around supporting Scrum. Over the last few years I have had the pleasure of training hundreds of people about the benefits of Scrum. My Scrum training courses are interactive and full of practical immersion exercises. Through the process of actually experiencing Scrum, many people often come to the realization that their current company‘s organizational structure will hinder rather than help their Scrum adoption process. Why? Because most Scrum teams today are adopting two to four week sprints. When your time box for getting work done is compressed as it is in Scrum, you actually magnify the impact of issues and risks (aka impediments). If an impediment isn’t cleared almost immediately, then the team’s progress can be severely limited or stopped all together… http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1430 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1430 We’ve made sure the odds are in your favor...or at least better than being a shark’s midday snack. Enter to win one of several iPads we're giving away free. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1391 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1391 As a Business Analyst have you ever asked your customers or end users this question: “What are your requirements?” Or have you ever participated in a brainstorming session, where everyone is spilling out requirements one right after the other, while someone frantically tries to take notes? If so continue reading, this is just for you! The best Business Analysts know that it takes more creative questions than that to make sure you don’t miss the most important, major requirements. One of the worst things that can happen on a project is to think you have all of the requirements only to discover, sometimes at the most inopportune time, that you missed something! UGH! It’s painful, and I’m sure some of you reading this have been there. As a Business Analyst for over 15 years I know I have! I learned early on in my career to get more creative with questions. I like to tell myself ‘Don’t be a robot. Don’t ask the routine questions’. Routine questions can sometimes only skim the surface of what the customer really wants. Canned Questions breed canned responses… http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1355 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1355 Tired of hearing “So what?” every time you present an issue or risk to an executive? As a project manager this behavior is extremely frustrating. I can recall a web development project where a whole IT infrastructure was needed to support some custom software that was being developed. At the start of the project I noted the risk of a late server delivery, as it was a critical path activity (an activity that if delayed would impact the overall project completion date). As the date of the planned server delivery got closer, I was told by the vendor that it could be up to two weeks late. I immediately raised the risk of late delivery to my project sponsor and I got the typical “So what?” response. Puzzled at his lack of response I spent some time pondering why my project sponsor reacted this way. Then one day it hit me. I realized that I was speaking a foreign language, as a friend of mine, says I was speaking “nerd”. By only conveying the risk in terms of impact to critical path, I was communicating like a project manager and not in a language that an executive would understand… http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1300 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1300 Due to the success of “The ROI of Training” I’ve collected some thoughts on the ROI of Virtual Evening Courses. It looks like the economy is growing through 2010, the positive impact of that growth has been tough to find. This growth looks to be built upon the backs of the existing work force. Companies have increased profits by increasing productivity. They have done this by controlling hiring and increasing the workload of the existing staff (sound familiar?). This strategy has definitely produced short-term gains in the way of corporate earnings but there are some potentially serious long-term impacts. Just look at HP. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1279 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1279 It's day one of your new role as a ScrumMaster. You remember from Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) training that the development team is supposed to be self-organizing and self-managing. You think to yourself, "Wow, what a great concept, I can concentrate on clearing impediments and my team will be autopilot. I might just have enough time to catch-up on cleaning out my inbox. Now it's time to put that Scrum training to work and kick off the first Sprint. I guess I better send out an e-mail..." http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1259 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1259 Agile Analysis in Action - Wednesday, August 25, 2010 - The Agile Analysis in Action presentation will provide participants with an example of how Agile practices can be incorporated directly into analysis activities! This is in addition to a brief overview of Agile practices and benefits. Marvin will discuss the benefits of being Agile as an Analyst even if your current organization, client, or boss isn't ready to cut the cord on traditional software development methodologies like Waterfall. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ Let’s face it, not many people go to work everyday just for fun- they do it for the paycheck. But how do you know that you are getting paid what you’re worth? How do you know if your services are worth more somewhere else in the country or even the world? How do you know what methods, training, and certifications are necessary to maintain a competitive position in your industry? ASPE’s annual salary survey will give you all the answers you are looking for. The second annual Business Analyst Salary Survey for 2010, hosted by ASPE, Inc. in partnership with Ravenflow and the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®) is open NOW through September 10th. This is the first time we are extending our survey to all business analysts globally so the results of this survey will examine compensation of business analysts as it relates to education, experience, location, company size, certifications and related factors worldwide! Participate in this brief 5-10 minute survey and see where you stack up with other BAs around the world. Take the survey today! http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1200 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1200 David Mantica, President of ASPE, Inc., discusses Agile Software Development, why companies are switching to Agile Development methods, and why they are turning to ASPE-SDLC for Agile training. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1189 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1189 Watch ASPE President David Mantica as he goes over some basic topics of Scrum and Scrum Certifications. Listen as he talks about what is Scrum? Who Governs it? Various Scrum Certifications. The Scrum REP Program. Why Scrum, and why ASPE for Scrum training. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1161 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p= Do you want a $5,000 grant for your PMI chapter? Do you have the best PMI chapter? Prove it! Take part in ASPE's National PMI Chapter Challenge for a chance to win $5,000 to use however your PMI chapter sees fit. We understand how important local chapters are, and we want to show our continuing support for PMI and its members. In order to win the $5,000, all you have to do is vote for your favorite PMI chapter! Voting will open July 19, 2010, and will last for five weeks, ending on August 20, 2010. Voting is simple, quick, and you can easily forward the link to your colleagues and fellow members. Check back here for weekly updates! The chapter receiving the most votes will receive a $5,000 grant. The top five chapters will be revealed and featured weekly in our blog beginning August 25, 2010. This includes anything from an interview with a chapter board member to a summary recognizing a chapter's best practices. Thank you for your time. NOW START VOTING to win the $5,000 grant! Follow us @ASPE_SDLC (or use the hashtag #PMICC) on Twitter to find the latest results! http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1121 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1121 This month we gave away a seat in our CBAP Certification Prep Boot Camp to the Denver IIBA Chapter. They have a CBAP Essay Contest that they run throughout the year that awards prizes for the best submissions from chapter members. The goal is to raise awareness of the CBAP designation and its benefits. Heidi McLaughlin was the winner with her essay, "Being 'All In' in Your Profession." In it she discusses her path from accountant to software developer to project manager, and eventually finding her true passion in business analysis. Says Heidi, "By this time, I'd been working in IT for 10 years. Although I'd 'played the role' of a BA as both a developer and project manager, I'd never held the title of a BA. And although I knew my passion really lied in the BA realm, I'd not pursued it. From a software developer's perspective, it was intellectually inferior. From a project manager's perspective, it was hierarchically inferior. But I noticed a change in the perception of the value of BAs at my company. BAs were gaining respect and responsibility. Project managers were demanding them. Programmers were more open to working with them. Management was realizing that they played a crucial role in the success of projects. I finally gave into my inner desire and transitioned into the role of BA." By concluding with a discussion of the benefits of actively participating in your profession, Heidi McLaughlin was able to make her piece a good, quick read that will mimic the sentiments and experience of many people in the BA field. Congratulations, Heidi! We look forward to seeing you in class, and helping you take that next step to CBAP certification. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1109 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1109 Are you looking for the next step in your career? Not sure what path to take? Our new 2010 Project Management Salary Survey might provide some insight. We recently partnered with TenStep, a leader in global project management consulting, to develop a salary survey specifically for the project management industry. After receiving over 2,000 responses from professionals in more than 100 countries, we realized that it is a very exciting time to be a project manager. For me the most surprising finding of this survey was that regardless of where a project manager resides (worldwide), they are extremely well paid. Take a look at this data and compare it to the expectations of your own career path; it could be time for a change. Worldwide, having a PMP certification is an automatic increase in salary of nearly $5,000 a year. For every additional year that certification is held, salary will increase by another $439 a year. I was curious how a project manager's pay in less industrialized regions such as Africa would compare to that of other workers in those regions. In Africa, the average daily income is around $7, but a project manager in Africa can make up to $140 a day. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/offers/pm_survey_offer.php http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/offers/pm_survey_offer.php The business-to-business for-profit training industry has gone through major changes over the last 25 years, but the single biggest disruption has been the Internet. The Internet’s impact has been significant in many ways including asynchronous e-learning, live online training classes, and live online coaching and support to name a few. The single biggest impact of the Internet has been its creation of convenient, accessible and FREE knowledge transfer options. If you are a professional and you need to gain knowledge on a particular topic, all you need to do is bring up Google, Bing or Yahoo and in a few seconds you will find a treasure trove of information aka knowledge available for free. The livelihood of a training company is based on providing learning; interestingly training companies have lived a long time on making revenue on knowledge transfer. The reality is that revenue is now gone. ASPE understands this and actually feels that providing FREE knowledge to our customers is a core responsibility. We believe our livelihood is based on providing skills transfer not knowledge transfer; we believe it is our job to provide tools, techniques and skills to increase worker productivity. If we do this and do it well, the increases in productivity our services provide, pays for our services. So we embrace the changes in training brought by the Internet, through our own sources for free knowledge, our web seminars and free resources. One area where we see a huge value with these free resources is Agile Development. Agile software development is a practice that takes skills, tools and techniques to perfect. Agile training is a must for any professional or leader considering Agile methods as an option for their company. The thing about Agile is before you can move to building the skills, tools and techniques to successfully run Agile projects you must understand what Agile is. A very important first step in Agile training is gaining the knowledge on just what it is and what it isn’t. ASPE is excited to offer you a FREE series of training web seminars that will provide you the Agile Training you need to full, understand Agile Methods. Visit this post for more information and where to sign up for these seminars! http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1055 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1055 Over $115,000 has been granted to more than 100 students since the ASPE Scholarship Program was rolled out in September of 2009. "We set out to utilize our resources to help displaced workers in our industry build the necessary skills to reenter the workforce as quickly as possible," says David Mantica, President of ASPE, Inc. "We were able to really connect with customers through this program. I loved that the program helped so many people advance their career in a very tough economy. I look forward to a continued relationship with our scholarship recipients." Cynthia L. explains, "I was a recipient of this wonderful scholarship and opportunity. I was able to complete 3 of the 5 courses required for the BA certificate and I paid for the 1st one myself. Now, I only have 1 to go before I am done – THANKS to this program. With the help of ASPE elevating my courses through this program, I have now found a job that I attribute to the knowledge and initiatives gained in these classes. I was unemployed for 8 months and I feel blessed to have another chance to make a difference in the Business Requirements and PM world." http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1029 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=1029 Radical new events are strongly becoming the norm in 2010. Everything from new healthcare reform to the worst environmental disaster America has ever seen to the final episode of the ABC hit show Lost. What do all of these big events have in common? They will all need people with software developments and project management skills to accomplish new goals. All of these massive events call for new or improved infrastructures, both technical and physical. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=979 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=979 Obviously starting out with a successful plan is the key to any project. To learn more about these initial stages I went to Tom Mochal, who had more then a few thoughts on this subject. He goes in to some of the key factors in creating a Logical Organization for your Project Management Office. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=961 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=961 Our live online training courses have received a lot of attention lately, and it's easy to see why. We've partnered with Cisco WebEx to give you the best virtual classroom experience possible. I recently received a review from a student who took our live online training course, and I thought it was worth sharing. Even if you have doubts about the effectiveness of taking training courses online, read through this post to see the experience through the eyes of a student. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=935 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=935 Who are the people presenting our upcoming Web Seminars? Take a look, and you won't be disappointed. Bill Gaiennie and Steven Ropa each have over 15 years of experience in Agile and software development. Take advantage of our free upcoming Web Seminars, and receive 1 PDU for each! http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=906 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=906 Is it technical skills or an ability to view the 'big picture'? Instructor Dave Caccamo who has more then 30 years of experience in the project management field, gives insights on this issue. This issue weighs heavily on the minds of those looking to find that next step. Find his thoughts and post your own here. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=886 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=886 Our newest addition to the Instructor Interview series is Alan Koch. Alan brings over 30 year of IT and Software Development experience to the table, and teaches a variety of course for ASPE. "Developing Software Testing Techniques", "ITIL V3 Foundations Exam Preparation Boot Camp" and "Web Testing Core Fundamentals" just to name a few. Alan believes that keeping students engaged throughout training is the key to success, and outlines how he does this in the courses he teaches. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=667 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=667 We are proud to be a Registered Education Provider (REP) for the Scrum Alliance. As an REP, our Agile and Scrum courses can be applied toward the new Certified Scrum Developer (CSD) credential. Take a look at the courses offered, and learn more about the Scrum Alliance. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=747 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=747 We explore the different styles of evaluating the ROI of training and how it is affected by the type of training chosen. This is a complicated issue, but in this post we tackle some of the major factors in evaluating the return on investment from employee training. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=828 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=828 The debate on Scrum Certifications has thrived in recent months. We explore the different view points and arguments of the roll of the Scrum Alliance and what it means to be certified. View this recent post to see just how heated the discussion has become. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=786 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=786 We recently had a chance to sit down with Mark and ask him a few questions. Mark has had an interesting and unique career with computers, 1980's hair bands and world travel. Watch the interview to see and hear a quick rundown of Mark's past and present escapades. I don't think you'll be disappointed. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=760 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=760 The ASPE instructor-led web seminars are a great free resource. About an hour long, they focus on a variety of today's hottest topics and are quick and easy to sign up for. We have a Q and A after every web seminar so you can ask the presenter questions, and a recording of the seminar will be sent to you afterwards for further review. Registrations are limited and they fill up fast. Check out the four Web Seminars starting April 20th. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=749 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=749 The release of SharePoint 2010 hopefully coming in May, we have been hard at work developing new resources and info on what we know and have seen in SharePoint 2010 up to this point. In addition to updating our courses, we have presented several web seminars recently on the new features, and how they will work and integrate with other Microsoft products. View our most popular SharePoint presentations and get yourself ready for what this new product will have to offer! http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=729 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=729 Our new blog series, "Meet the ASPE Instructors," will introduce you to some of our instructors. You will learn more about who they are and what abilities they bring to the table. Find out what real world skills they teach, and what kind of hands-on training is available. In this post Tom, who currently teaches our Windows 7 administration, SQL Server administration, and Hyper-V courses, shares his history and perspective on the subjects he teaches. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=455 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=455 Held March 8th through 10th at the Gaylord Palms Convention Center in Orlando, FL the 2010 Scrum Gathering was a "Who's Who" of the Agile and Scrum communities. Find out highlights and hot topics of the conference and for those of you who were there, feel free to share your thoughts. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=580 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=580 Our new blog series, "Meet the ASPE Instructors," will introduce you to some of our instructors. You will learn more about who they are and what abilities they bring to the table. Find out what real world skills they teach, and what kind of hands-on training is available. See our first post in the series, a Q and A with Jerry Durant, our Managing Outsourced and Offshore Project course developer who also teaches some of our Agile and Software Testing courses. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=446 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=446 The ASPE Scholarship Programwas introduced to help those who have recently lost their jobs and see the real-world value in keeping their skills sharp. Whether it’s PMP Boot Camp or a Hands-On Microsoft SharePoint Workshop, the ASPE Scholarship Program will help you advance your career and get you the training you need. In response to the popularity of the Scholarship Program, ASPE has extended the deadline for applications! We realize how valuable this training can be for job seekers and want to give you the edge you need to compete in today’s job market. Applications will now be accepted until June 30th, SO don’t wait! This is your way of getting the skills you need to find a new position! http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=397 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=397 Winter weather got you down? We've had a miserable winter by NC standards, so we are looking to turn things around. Lucky for you that translates into savings for! Get 25% Off when you register for any of our upcoming February public courses. This is the perfect time to snatch up that training you missed in 2009. The discount applies to all public courses offered this month by any of the ASPE Family of Companies, so if you haven't looked around our other sites recently see if anything strikes your fancy. The only thing shorter than a North Carolina winter is this limited time offer only available through our Blog, so act fast! http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=380 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=380 ASPE instructor Mark Weinstein, and developer of our SharePoint Curriculum, recently released a new book for pre-order on Amazon.com. Entitled Pro Project Management with SharePoint 2010, the book looks at the latest release of Microsoft SharePoint and how to best utilize it for managing projects. Learn more about the book on our SharePoint Training Curriculum page. http://www.aspe-it.com/sharepointtraining.php http://www.aspe-it.com/sharepointtraining.php This week we held the 2010 Instructor Conference here in Cary, NC. Instructors from all of the ASPE family of companies were present. Our latest blog post highlights the lighter side of ASPE and the conference. Get a glimpse behind the scenes as we review the after hours event at Chef Mario’s where we, as a team, prepared a 5-course meal. Menu items included Prosciutto wrapped Shrimp, Steakhouse Bruschetta, Orange Glazed Salmon, Pistachio Crusted Chicken Breast, and even Berries in Pappillote. Be sure to check out instructor Bill Gaiennie’s Carrot Henge masterpiece and the video of Chef Mario doing a little showing off. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=339 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=339 We hope you all have a safe and lovely New Years! Thanks to everyone who helped make 2009 a great year despite the tough economy, and we look forward to what 2010 brings. We are happy to announce that Katie Cothran has joined our team as a Marketing Specialist, and will be focused on helping improve our direct mail marketing in 2010 and beyond. If we don't talk to you before Friday, we'll see you in 2010. Be safe in your celebrations. Think long and hard about those New Year resolutions, and if we can help in any way please let us know. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=332 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=332 If the weather here on the East Coast is any indication, we are in the thick of the Holiday Season. All of us here at ASPE want to thank you all for a wonderful year and tell you how much we appreciate your business. Not only has it been great to be successful as a company in these tough economic times, but it has been a thrill to work with so many individuals and have our training help them cover the lose of team members, increase their job security through additional skills, knowledge, and certification, and most importantly help some find employment through training that made the difference in their job hunt. We wish everyone a wonderful and safe holiday. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=323 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=323 In a recent blog post we spoke with instructor Mark Weinstein about his new book Pro Project Management with SharePoint 2010 and got his feelings about the new 2010 release of Microsoft SharePoint. We asked him about the biggest improvements in the new release from a project management perspective, got his thoughts about adoption of the 2010 edition, what Microsoft missed in the new release, and where he sees SharePoint heading in the future. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=321 http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/?p=321 In addition to all the other virtual courses we offer, we are excited to now offer Utilizing SharePoint Project Management as a virtual course. Experience live expert instruction, the same classroom courseware, hands-on breakout session labs, and peer interaction in our online courses. There is no need for you to travel to get up to speed. This course consists of daily sessions delivered over several consecutive days and is now scheduled for February 16-19, 2010. Earn the 14 PDUs online! http://www.aspe-it.com/vcl.php http://www.aspe-it.com/vcl.php Learn how the 2009 economy has impacted salary, raises, and bonuses for those in the Business Analyst and Agile Practitioner professions. On November 17th, attend our "2009 Demographic and Salary Report for the Business Analyst Profession" web seminar and see how the BA profession is growing rapidly. Our "2009 Demographic and Salary Report for Agile Practitioners" web seminar will be held on December 1st. Find out which types of companies are driving agile adoption. These survey results were also documented in two different white papers available on our website. Gain insights into the salary trends for your position and assess your real value to your organization. You will find some of the results very interesting and surprising! http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ The Scrum Alliance(SM) has caused some confusion after announcing their launch of the online Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), then postponing it in September, and now moving forward with it on October 1st. The exam that launched in October is a 60-question online exam given at the end of training and there are 3 variations of it. After successfully completing the Certified ScrumMaster Workshop, participants will have all information required to take the exam and become certified. According to the Scrum Alliance, all students will initially receive a passing grade, allowing the Alliance to improve the test by observing and analyzing results. They would like to emphasize to students that it is important to answer each question based upon the student’s ability to provide credibility to the results and assure the Alliance will be able to effectively evolve the exam. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/courses/4400/ http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/courses/4400/ ASPE-SDLC now offers two in-depth study guides to help your certification goals. The Complete CBAP® 2.0 Study Guide and PMP® v4.0 Study Guide are developed on the most recent bodies of knowledge. Determine your strengths and weaknesses with over 500 practice questions and answers. Simulate the certification exam to get a thorough and detailed breakdown of what you should know. Familiarize yourself with the BABOK® or PMBOK® material. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/study_guides.php http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/study_guides.php Don't forget that all of our web seminars are recorded and available for playback. Visit aspeevents.webex.com and click on the View Event Recordings link. You will be taken to a page with links to the recordings of all our past web seminars. Currently the list goes all the way back to November 2007, so there is a ton of great material for your on-demand viewing pleasure. The list includes recordings from all the ASPE, Inc. divisions, so you can see presentations for IT, the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Finance, and Healthcare. http://www.aspeinc.com/seminararchive.php http://www.aspeinc.com/seminararchive.php Training and education provide you the opportunity to extend your skill set and can be one of the strongest tools you can use to fight the difficult and evolving job market. ASPE, Inc. wants to provide a support solution for unemployed professionals looking to match their skills to the changes happening in the market place. We've put aside a $350,000 to provide unemployed professionals an opportunity to take ASPE courses as a way to effectively build the skills the market is requiring. The program is running from September 1st to February 28th. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/scholarship.php http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/scholarship.php Whether you are looking to move to Agile and want to be sure your first step is the right step, are looking to move your entire organization to Agile and want help getting started with support, training, and coaching along the way, or need something in-between, we have an Agile Assessment package that is right for you. Each program is meant to assess your team’s readiness to move to Agile and the actions you must take to make your pilot program a success. Find the package that is right for you and get started on your transition to Agile today! http://aspe-sdlc.com/agile_assessments.php http://aspe-sdlc.com/agile_assessments.php Based on the economic slowdown and the uncertainty that has transpired, both VersionOne and ASPE-SDLC felt it was time to develop a very specific/focused salary survey for use by the Agile community. We decided to publish the report because data we collected shows that the market sees Agile skills as extremely valuable, and employers are paying top dollar to get them. We shed light on the continued growth in need and value of professionals who work in Agile methods, and how these factors impact wages and opportunities. Thousands of our Agile training customers participated in the survey, and after third-party statistical analysis we present the results in this white paper. There are a few surprises, and many valuable correlations across different demographic and educational data. http://www.aspetech.com/sdlc/offers/survey_offer_agile.html http://www.aspetech.com/sdlc/offers/survey_offer_agile.html This week ASPE's SDLC Division has partnered with TenStep, Inc. to bring you three new specialized resources on project management topics. Learn the basics of a Project Management Office (PMO) and how a centralized PM infrastructure can be a powerful asset in your own organization. We'll show you how to get started. In our next white paper, we cover the contingency of "project rescues" and how you can bring a troubled project back from the brink while minimizing the risks associated with this sort of radical intervention. Finally, we present a general project management overview that will help anyone in a project role understand and communicate the general value proposition for project management. Visit our Free Offers section to learn more and download. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/offers http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/offers For three years now the Microsoft SharePoint team in Redmond has been developing new and very exciting functionality for the SharePoint platform. SharePoint 2010 will essentially be the fourth major version of the platform since the first version shipped in 2001. SharePoint Server is the fastest growing server product Microsoft has ever developed, with over $1Bn in revenue and over 100 million users and growing! We have partnered with BrightWork to hold a free web seminar on Oct. 28 to discuss the new features and capabilities coming with SharePoint 2010. BrightWork has worked closely with the Microsoft SharePoint team throughout the development of the new release, and knows firsthand what has to this point been a pretty closely guarded secret at Microsoft. Join us, and be one of the first to know about SharePoint 2010. http://www.aspe-it.com/webseminars/#seminar2 http://www.aspe-it.com/webseminars/#seminar2 Our 2-day Agile Project Management course has been updated with content for today’s SDLC professionals. In addition to the 2009 economic factors, we’ve seen a lot of development in the SDLC world in regards to Agile. Most significantly, PMI has recently embraced Agile, recognizing the significant positive impact it has had on delivering better project results for customers. You will learn more about this development, other recent changes, and how they may impact the industry in our newly update Agile Project Management course. http://aspe-sdlc.com/courses/4170/ New and Improved Agile Project Management Course LIVE Instructor-Led Training over the Internet is our online, virtual training option. This week we've added sessions for November and December of 2009 and even some sessions for January and February of 2010. On top of the courses we've been offering, we are adding sessions for ScrumMaster Workshop, Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) Prep Boot Camp, Developing Requirements with Use Cases, Requirements Management Workshop, and some of our financial modeling courses. These sessions will use the same content and hands-on exercises used in our classroom training, but saves you time and travel expenses. They are great cost-effective alternatives for those on a tight budget. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/vcl.php New Virtual Training Sessions Added In today's economy of downsizing, doing more with less, dealing with change at mind boggling rates, being exceptional at managing others has never more challenging—and yet more critical! Whether you are just starting out as a manager, been in your position for a while and need a jolt to recharge, or been in your position for a while and never received any formal development, today's managers can not afford to leave it up to chance. You will never have more time; the only thing you can do is do better with the time you have. In our upcoming web seminar on September 30th we'll discuss the issues that are causing the most heartburn to managers and leaders of all organizational sizes and industries. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ The Exceptional Manager: Leading Teams through Challenging Times On August 13th we will be holding our next free web seminar, entitled "The Business Analyst Profession: An Update and an Outlook" and will take a look at where the profession stands today, and where it is headed. We'll examine the effects of the rise of the IIBA, the introduction of the CBAP Certification, and the continuing need in organizations for the effective business analysis. In addition, on September 11th we will be holding "Reaping Value from Global Agile Engineering." The event will look at how to utilize agility and also harvest the benefits of outsourced projects. We will introduce proven methods that create highly productive agile teams despite the lack of physical/cultural closeness or team cohesiveness often plaguing global teams. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ Upcoming Free Web Seminars From ASPE-SDLC Ravenflow and ASPE-SDLC have developed a specific, focused salary survey for the BA community. We shed light on the continued growth in need and value of business analysts and how they directly impact wages and opportunities. Thousands of our BA customers participated in the survey, and after third-party statistical analysis we present the results in this white paper (ASPE will also present an online seminar on the survey results). Learn a few surprises, and many valuable correlations across different demographic and educational data http://www.aspetech.com/sdlc/offers/survey_offer_3.html ASPE's 2009 Business Analyst Salary Survey Results A modern Project Management Information System (PMIS) is a collaborative solution that allows for the management of projects and the documentation and processes associated with them. Dozens of solutions exist; however, if you have implemented Microsoft SharePoint or plan to implement it, you may already have one of the best PMIS solutions available today. To help you understand how Microsoft SharePoint can assist you in implementing a collaborative PMIS, this whitepaper will step through the five phases of a project. While discussing each phase, suggestions will be made for how Microsoft SharePoint can be used to manage the processes within each phase. http://www.aspe-it.com/offers/#63 Using SharePoint for Project Management So you've been thinking about using SharePoint after hearing about all the amazing stuff it can do, right? Or you might be saying to yourself, "Yeah, I've heard of SharePoint...but what exactly is it?" In our newest white paper we'll explain what SharePoint is, what it does, and most importantly what it can do for your business. If you're new to the idea of collaboration, we will introduce the concept and show you why SharePoint is one of the premier collaboration server applications on the market today. http://www.aspe-it.com/offers/#61 What is SharePoint and what can it do for your business? Current PMPs who tested on the 3rd edition should make themselves aware of the changes in order to stay current with the process terminology that will soon follow in organizations that wish to be fully PMBOK compliant. Download our New White Paper Now for Free. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/offers/ http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/offers/ This week we introduced the new and improved ASPE-SDLC blog. The new blog allows for increased customer participation and commenting, and utilizes AddtoAny buttons for quick sharing over social media channels. We have also introduced a new section where you can Rate Our Courses and give your honest feedback about your experience. The blog is reachable from a new icon on our ASPE-SDLC site, which is accompanied by icons to also connect with us through RSS, Twitter, and LinkedIn. So take a few minutes, check out our hard work, and connect with us. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/ http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/blog/ On July 16t,h we will be holding our next ASPE-SDLC web seminar, "The Manager's Guide to Agile Adoption." Presenter, Mike Cottmeyer, from our partner VersionOne, will explain why many organizations fail to become agile, and explore a roadmap to successful agile adoption. At each step of the adoption process, Mike will demonstrate how to choose the policies, practices, and metrics that create learning and drive sustainable organizational change. The following week, on July 21st, ASPE President David Mantica will present on "Product Theory, Real-World Innovation, and Creativity Enablement." His presentation will cover product theory, innovation, creativity best practices, and real-world management solutions. It will look at the lifecycle of how to set a team up to be innovative and creative, how to manage that team, and how to ensure the ideas of that team are viable go-to-market products. Each event will award 1-PDU for attendance. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ In our blog post last week we did a follow-up to our June Agile Industry Watch web seminar. After the event we had so many questions regarding trends in Agile job titles and the adoption of Agile projects that we decided to dive a little deeper. The post takes a look at Indeed.com data on the number of job listings with SDLC, Agile, or Scrum over the period of Jul '05 to Jan '09 and its correlation to what we are hearing from our customers. It also discusses possible causes of these trends and its implications in the future. http://theaspeblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/agile-industry-watch-agile-jobs.html http://theaspeblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/agile-industry-watch-agile-jobs.html In our latest blog post we examine the PMP recertification and what to consider when earning your necessary PDUs. We look at the value of a PDU, what you should pay for a PDU, and ways to earn free PDUs. Additionally, we discuss why you should be focused on the education received because when you strip it all down, you can meet the PDU recertification requirements for free. http://theaspeblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/your-pmp-recertification-for-pdu-sake.html http://theaspeblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/your-pmp-recertification-for-pdu-sake.html Join us on June 11th for up Agile Industry Watch free web seminar. With over 50,000 people holding the Certified Scrum Master designation and with PMI making overtures to the Agile industry, 2009 is turning out to be a critical year for Agile deployment. In this 45-minute web seminar, get an update on the industry trends regarding Agile and how Agile methods are impacting SDLC management practices. We'll address Scrum's position as an Agile methodology, PMI and Agile, IIBA and Agile, and critical skills for Agile success. You'll earn 1 PDU for attendance. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ Our 2009 Interactive Electronic Training Catalog is now available. With 68 pages of page flipping content, it's worth your time just to see how this top of the line Nxtbook visually and functionally takes electronic catalogs to the next level. Our interactive catalog allows you to flip pages with just one click, bookmark specific content, even take your own notes. You can also choose to save or print the entire catalog or just the pages of interest to you. Our 2009 Interactive Electronic Training Catalog will be your top resource for training in 2009. http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aspe/trainingcatalog_200905/ http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aspe/trainingcatalog_200905/ SharePoint has fast become the most effective and useful collaborative tool that the business world has experienced in a very long time. But with this increased reliance on a growing platform, there comes a certain amount of risk. If mismanaged or not managed at all, there goes the effort, cost savings and benefit…right out the window. To meet this need, we have developed our new Mastering Effective SharePoint Governance course. In two days, the SharePoint Administrator and Manager will develop a clear-cut road map for controlled management and a game plan for future growth, future deployments and expansion of SharePoint tools. Both technical needs and management needs, seamlessly and effortlessly blended into a strategic, well thought out program that will have staying power that can help perpetually drive your SharePoint decisions in the future. http://www.aspe-it.com/courses/9505/ http://www.aspe-it.com/courses/9505/ Our latest blog post debates the current and future state of the PM and BA roles. We look at the IIBA and PMI, their influence, and how these organizations and things like Agile can shape project management and business analysis over the next year. http://theaspeblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/7-trends-in-project-management-and.html http://theaspeblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/7-trends-in-project-management-and.html Pre-Sale has started for The Complete CBAP v2.0 Study Guide. Reserve your copy today! With over 500 test questions and tips on studying and sitting for the exam, it will prove to be an invaluable resource in helping you focus and maximize your study time. To learn more about CBAP certification, and the benefits of using this incredibly valuable... http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/cbap_guide.html http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/cbap_guide.html Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007 can be a very useful tool for many organizations wanting to do their part in helping the environment. In our latest blog post we look at how Microsoft SharePoint can be used for document imaging and management, using InfoPath and Workflows to automate forms, telecommuting, and server virtualization. http://theaspeblog.blogspot.com/ http://theaspeblog.blogspot.com/ Courses now available include Business Analyst Fundamentals, Agile Project Management, Agile Requirements, ScrumMaster Workshop, Jumpstart in Project Management, and Financial Modeling in Excel Boot Camp. These classes have a limited number of seats, so reserve yours today. Early Bird pricing available for some courses. Save up to $200. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/vcl.html http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/vcl.html Tomorrow is our free one-hour presentation on Predictive Analysis in Excel. Last minute registration is available for a few more hours! We've also got a very handy web seminar coming up on the power of SharePoint as a project management tool - if you're running SharePoint, you shouldn't miss this one. Just added: ASPE's free presentation to walk you through the most important points of PMIs transition to a new release of the PMBOK Guide. There are some important updates here...PMI is always striving to maintain its professional certification criteria as the most current, consistent, and in-depth seal of confidence for Project Management Professionals. Earn a PDU while you familiarize yourself with PMI's new ANSI standard! For more information visit http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/webseminars/ Hurry! Time is running out to participate in our 2009 Agile or Business Analyst Salary Surveys. Visit www.ASPE-SDLC.com to take part. We will close the surveys and start compiling data soon. Look for the survey results to be released next month. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com http://www.aspe-sdlc.com One of the benefits of implementing Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 is the flexibility it offers to create custom solutions...but there's a lot to know. ASPE just finalized our latest addition to the ASPE SharePoint curriculum. Our new Hands-On Mastering SharePoint Customization course is complete and open for registration. This lab-intensive three day program will help you zero in on customizing SharePoint's look and feel, creating custom workflows, designing InfoPath forms, and accessing external data through the Business Data Catalog. With our new SharePoint Course, you will create real-word workflow templates for SharePoint-based business solutions, and learn how to program against the SharePoint Workflow API. For more information visit http://www.aspe-it.com/courses/9655/ http://www.aspe-it.com/courses/9655/ http://www.aspe-it.com/courses/9655/ ASPE SDLC Training is excited to offer you a new option in receiving our quality training. We now offer LIVE Instructor Led Training over the Internet utilizing Cisco's WebEx technology. The great thing about this tool is that, while you attend via your computer, the voice side is done over a phone conference bridge, which greatly reduces the technical hurdle a learner has to take in attending a class. These virtual classes will use the same content as our classroom courses, and offer the same labs and breakout groups through WebEx's technology. You get everything you would from our classroom course at a reduced price, while saving on travel time and costs. We currently have 4 sessions scheduled, including 1 FREE pilot session. We have sent an email out to the ASPE database about the FREE session. For more information on our LIVE Instructor Led Training over the Internet, visit http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/VCL.html or contact skoerber@aspetech.com for more information. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/VCL.html http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/VCL.html ASPE is happy to announce that we have joined forces with Alexander Hamilton Financial Technologies to enter the financial training arena. The partnership is built on common company foundations and principles. Visit www.hamiltontraining.com for information on newly available courses. http://www.aspetech.com/news/hamiltontraining.html http://www.aspetech.com/news/hamiltontraining.html ASPE has grown by leaps and bounds since its creation in 2004. To better serve our customers we are creating separate brands for our SDLC and IT divisions. As our first step, we have launched a new SDLC site that focuses solely on our Software Development Lifecycle training curriculums. Take a look around and let us know what you think. To show our appreciation we will give you a coupon for $300 Off. For details visit www.aspetech.com/sdlc/promo.html http://www.aspetech.com/sdlc/promo2.html http://www.aspetech.com/sdlc/promo2.html The newly created Hands-On Microsoft SharePoint Development course will debut in September 2008. The lab intensive, 3-day class will focus on custom workflows, InfoPath forms, the Business Data Catalog, and custom SharePoint applications.You will create real-world workflow templates for SharePoint-based business solutions, and learn how to program against the SharePoint Workflow API, as well as how to integrate input forms using both .ASPX pages and InfoPath forms. For more information visit http://www.aspetech.com/courses/9950/. http://www.aspetech.com/courses/9950/ http://www.aspetech.com/courses/9950/ Due to extraordinary demand for more classes, more sessions, more experts, and more training options, ASPE Inc. announces the unveiling of www.aspe-sdlc.com ! With new staff on hand, ASPE SDLC division will bring unparralleled training to the growing number of Project Managers, Business Analysts, Agile pratitioners, and Software Testers in the market today. Their new website has been created by the web design team at Knotts and Associates. http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/ http://www.aspe-sdlc.com/ ASPE Inc. releases all its free webseminars to the public! IT and Project Management training, as well as Microsoft web seminars are now available for free downloads, no strings attached! ASPE is a nationwide provider of IT and SDLC training- we recognize the need for quality training, and we also understand that budgets are always a major factor. What better way is there to deliver that understanding than by giving away our expertise? Complete a short form, and the written materials for our past webseminars will be sent to you to read at your leisure. Check out our free technical offers, whitepapers, and webseminars today! http://www.aspetech.com/webseminars/archives.html http://www.aspetech.com/webseminars/archives.html Information released from the ASPE lists the top 10 training topics of 2006 & 2007. Learn which topics in the fields of IT and Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) have literally exploded on to the scene in the last 18 months! http://www.aspetech.com/news/topten.html http://www.aspetech.com/news/topten.html Projects are a huge cost to every organization and research reveals 51% of projects will fail. After resources, the largest cost in all projects are risks. The inability to identify, categorize, accurately assess impact, prevent, and control risks cost businesses billions per year. This course first identifies project risks, risk categories, and criteria, then presents and explains key definitions. Next, in an interactive "hands on" environment, participants learn tools and techniques for: 1) Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Analysis. 2) Risk Criteria. 3) Risk Response Planning. 4) Risk Monitoring and Controls. 5) how to prepare and test a comprehensive risk management plan to materially reduce and contain risks, thereby reducing costs and program delays. http://www.aspetech.com/courses/4870_details.html http://www.aspetech.com/courses/4870_details.html