15 http://www.hamiltontraining.com AHC is a nationwide provider of high-level training in finance, management, accounting, engineering, and supply chain topics en-us 240 83 http://www.hamiltontraining.com http://www.aspeinc.com/hamilton/images/hamilton-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 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 Recently, one of our course developers Dr. John Longo was seen on the CNBC’s Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo discussing how to protect against possible inflation in 2010. He was joined by Jacob Bourne of Capstone Investment Advisors. We’ve posted a short clip from the show to our website. http://www.hamiltontraining.com/news_longo.php http://www.hamiltontraining.com/news_longo.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 The business and finance division of ASPE, Inc. rolled out a new website on December 14th. We unveiled a new and improved site at www.hamiltontraining.com for the Alexander Hamilton Center. Previously the site was devoted to our financial training offered under the name of Alexander Hamilton Financial Technology, but the new site includes additional non-IT-related project management training, as well as engineering, supply chain, accounting, and management courses. These new additions sparked the need for the new brand and identity. The Alexander Hamilton Center will provide the same high-quality, hands-on training experience offered by all of the ASPE, Inc. family. http://www.hamiltontraining.com http://www.hamiltontraining.com