Hi Subscriber:

We’ve got a lot in store the next few weeks. We’ve just scheduled our Lean-Agile Project Manager Certification course in Bellevue. This course includes how to do Kanban, Scrumban and Scrum. We’ll be scheduling more so please let me know if you are interested – it’ll help us pick the cities in which we’ll be offering this. This course is an alternative to standard ScrumMaster training. While Scrum is very popular, businesses are finding that is has only a 25% success rate. This lack of success often occurs when Scrum is not the best team process to be used or when there are other issues affecting the team that Scrum does not deal with effectively. This course better prepares organizations for Agile development by providing a solid understanding of the principles behind Agile methods which allows you to decide which is the best team process for you - in your circumstances. This greater foundation also allows for better tailoring of whichever Agile method you chose, even Scrum. Attendance in this course also entitles you to subscriber status – getting access to much more of our online materials.

Upcoming events include:

• Online course: Database Agility Online training, March 16 - April 20, Live sessions 10:00am-12:00pm PDT
• Webinar: Team Kanban in a Waterfall Environment, March 24, 12-1pm EDT
• Webinar: Where to Start Your Agile Transition, March 29, 9-10am PDT
• Seminar in Bellevue: Selecting the Right Process, April 15, 6-8:30pm PDT
• Conference: Atlanta 2010 Lean Software and Systems, April 21-23
• Lean-Agile Project Manager Certification, May 24-26, 9am-5pm, PDT

Databases have always been a bottleneck when it comes to change. They are clunky, mission-critical and (worst of all) they have inertia, the bane of Agility. True database agility comes from the recognition of how data and programs are fundamentally different. This course breaks the practices of agile software development down into a set of principles and then uses those principles to build up a set of Agile practices in the context of database development.

This online training is true training, including lectures, readings, exercises and question & answer periods. The intent of this training is:

• To give you the tools you need to iteratively develop a database
• To promote within the industry the concept that iterative database development is possible
• To help participants articulate to their colleagues why databases require different practices and what those different practices are

Webinar
Team Kanban in a Waterfall Environment, Wednesday, March 24, 2010 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT

While much of the software world recognizes the need to transition to agile methods, it is more difficult in some places than others. This is especially true when critical resources are constrained or true teams do not exist because people are on multiple projects at the same time. Kanban can be a solution here because of its ability to be implemented in a smooth, gradual manner. This webinar will describe the basics of Kanban and how you can fit it on top of an existing workflow in a way that leads to quicker delivery and higher quality.

More information and to register

This series provides an introduction on how to achieve Business Agility. Business Agility enables an organization to respond quickly to external forces (such as new market opportunities and competitive forces) as well as to respond quickly to new insights attained internally.

Session 3: Where to Start Your Agile Transition, Monday, Mar 29, 2010 Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am PDT
Register

Many organizations start their agile transformation with a pilot project – that is, taking a single team agile. This fails to achieve enterprise success most of the time for several reasons. Amongst these are the team is often not the major impediment to business agility. Furthermore, team based methods such as Scrum provide little insight into how to correct the organizational structure and business issues that impede business agility. Teams may start Scrum, have problems but be unable to align management to help them. Knowing where to start means being able to understand where your organization is impeded and having more than one approach available to you so you can start your transition appropriately. Outline:

• The four areas that commonly impede business agility
• What to do if you don’t have teams
• How to determine where to start your lean-agile transition

There will be 7 sessions, broadcast as a webinar, occurring every 3-5 weeks. Each session is a stand-alone, so you can choose which to register for. A recording will be available a few days after the live session if you can't attend the live broadcast or wish to experience it again!

See Session 1 Business Driven Software Development: An Overview
Recording

See Session 2 Product Portfolio Management
Recording

Free Seminar in Bellevue, WA
Selecting the Right Process, Thursday, April 15, 2010 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm PDT

While many identify Scrum as the Agile process to use, there are other, often better, alternatives. Ones that many believe are inherently superior to Scrum. This talk introduces two of these other methodologies: Kanban Software Development and Scrumban.

More information and to register

Don’t Miss the next Lean Software and Systems Conference, April 21-23, 2010
JW Marriott-Buckhead, Atlanta, GA

Get ready to attend the Atlanta 2010 Lean Software & Systems Consortium conference April 21-23. The last two Lean conferences have proven to be the best conferences of 2009. Lean and Kanban methods are starting to be recognized as essential for virtually all agile transitions. Learn how Lean can be used to improve your enterprise transition and how Kanban is often a more viable method than Scrum. As CEO of a consulting/training company that helps dozens of companies transform themselves, I can tell you that if you are looking at how to achieve business agility and not merely team agility, you will find this conference incredibly valuable.

Public Course in Bellevue, WA
Lean-Agile Project Manager Certification, Monday, May 24 - Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm PDT

Prepare a person to play the role of the Lean-Agile Project Manager. In today's world it is critical that one know why Agile work, not just be given a set of practices to coach the team in performing. While Scrum is a popular Agile method today, it is not always the best Agile method to use. This course introduces the participants to the three most popular Agile methods: Scrum, Kanban and Scrumban - all within the context of Lean-Agile methods.

More information and to register

Hope you find this valuable and see you at one of these events. Please let me know if we can be of any assistance.

Regards,

Alan Shalloway
CEO, Net Objectives
Achieving Enterprise and Team Agility