Lean/Agile Process Improvement Workshop

Duration: 2 or 3 days

Description: Did you know that you can achieve 15-40% efficiency gains and cost savings in 4-8 weeks using Lean/Agile? And that most of the time, these gains also lead to generating additional revenue? Other organizations and teams have experienced this phenomenon, and you can too if you invest a day in learning how. It doesn’t matter whether your process is technical, such as software development, or business-focused, such as issuing an insurance policy; all processes can be improved significantly using Lean/Agile practices.

Agile Practices for Service and Support Teams

Please contact us if you would like to set up a customized training course in your city or at your corporate site.

Duration: 1 day

Description: Service and support teams routinely encounter challenges in managing their process flow. These teams will have difficulty using Scrum because fixed sprint durations and inflexibility to incorporate changes during a sprint are incompatible with an unpredictable inflow of work and constantly changing priorities. However, such teams, even if operating under a traditional (Waterfall) environment, can benefit from key agile practices geared toward workflow management.

First Steps Toward Agility:
Incorporating Agile Practices in a Waterfall Environment

Duration: 1 day

Description: Both traditional (Waterfall) methodology and Agile methodology have pros and cons and can be effective ways to structure a project. For teams that are not practicing Agile, there are still Agile practices that can benefit them. Daily standups, retrospectives, and many other key Agile practices and ceremonies can benefit even a Waterfall team.

For many, the most arduous part of transitioning to Agile in a waterfall environment happens at the beginning—in the uncertainty of how to put the initiative into motion. In this course, strategies and best practices to begin incorporating Agile practices are revealed. Real-world experiences working with existing project teams to begin incorporating Agile practices and ceremonies are shared. By initiating practices, teams start to understand Agile principles and mindset and become better prepared to take the next steps on their Agile journey. Specific Agile practices, and how to adapt each one to a traditional environment, are covered.

Agile Fundamentals / Agile 101

Description: Are you looking for a way to deliver value and customer satisfaction? Are you seeking to implement Agile and unsure where to start? This course can address these problems, providing a stepping stone to take Agile practices to the next level.

Scrum vs. Kanban: Which Works Best Where?

Duration: 1 day

Description: Scrum and Kanban are both crucial agile methodologies to improve productivity of project teams. Scrum provides a framework for organizing work by priority and keeping teams on task daily, while Kanban provides a framework for moving high-priority work through a path to completion. How do these frameworks differ from each other, and in what situations does each work best? These questions and more will be answered in RefineM’s course. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of Scrum and Kanban and when to utilize each, together or separately, to drive project success.

LEAN, Six Sigma, and Agile

Duration: 1 day in person or two half-days online

Description: LEAN, Six Sigma, and Agile are all powerful ways to maximize an organization’s project delivery capability. LEAN, which was developed from manufacturing, focuses on efficiency across the enterprise. Agile, which was conceived for the software development industry, is finding increasing use across different industries for the way in which it helps teams deliver the highest value first and engage customers. Six Sigma can be leveraged to help discover and eliminate process defects, improving the quality of project outcomes.

Put together, these three frameworks can drastically increase an organization’s project delivery capability. How best can organizations achieve these integrations to achieve the results they want? In this course, you will learn more about LEAN, Six Sigma, and Agile, and how each can work together. Potential trouble spots for any integration will be identified, and solutions proposed to help you integrate LEAN, Six Sigma, and Agile in an ideal way.

Course Objectives: After completing the course, you will be able to

• Explain similarities and differences between LEAN, Six Sigma, and Agile.
• Learn how each integrates with the other.
• Develop a plan to integrate LEAN, Six Sigma, and Agile in your organization.

Who Should Attend: This course is ideal for project/program managers, portfolio managers, change agents, PMO leaders, project team members, business/systems analysts and other project stakeholders.

PDUs: 7 PDUs (Strategic: 7, Leadership: 0, Technical: 0) (8 PDUs for two half-days over the Web)

Course Delivery: Variable

Course Material: RefineM will prepare and provide the necessary training course material for all attendees.

About RefineM's Instructors: RefineM's instructors are experienced and certified in project management and Agile and bring real-world experience to their instruction. Our instructors not only teach concepts, we also provide insights and hands-on experience. And we don’t waste time. Our training is focused and hard-hitting. We offer practical targeted training in just the key topics that will make the most impact.

Contact us about future dates or to arrange for this training to be delivered in your organization or city.

A Roadmap to Agile Adoption

Duration: 1 or 2 days

Description: Many organizations want to adopt Agile to realize its benefits, including value-driven delivery and increased customer satisfaction. Successfully adopting Agile requires shifts in both the operations and the mindset of an organization. How can your organization make the leap to Agile?

In RefineM’s A Roadmap to Agile Adoption course, you will learn how you can start on the journey to adopting Agile in your organization. You will start by learning where Agile is a best fit. You will learn each step of the Agile adoption roadmap, best practices to follow at each point, and potential pitfalls that can delay or stop an Agile transformation in an organization. You will leave this course with a roadmap to implement Agile in your organization.

Course Objectives: After completing the course, you will be able to

• Identify the ideal conditions for adopting Agile in an organization.
• Understand the roadmap to Agile adoption, including best practices and pitfalls.
• Start on the journey to adopting Agile in your organization.

Who Should Attend: This course is ideal for Agile change agents and others interested in knowing how to adopt Agile in their organizations.

PDUs: 7 PDUs / SEUs / Contact Hours (Strategic: 0, Leadership: 0, Technical: 7)

Course Delivery: Variable

Course Material: RefineM will prepare and provide the necessary training course material for all attendees.

About RefineM's Instructors: RefineM's instructors are experienced and certified in project management and Agile and bring real-world experience to their instruction. Our instructors not only teach concepts, we also provide insights and hands-on experience. And we don’t waste time. Our training is focused and hard-hitting. We offer practical targeted training in just the key topics that will make the most impact.

Contact us about future dates or to arrange for this training to be delivered in your organization or city.