Live Webinar – June 13th, 2013 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm EDT
Offered by MPUG ( REP 1369 )
Duration 1 hour + Q & A 1 PDU / 1 CDU
Mpug Member Free – Guest Free

Agile project management methodologies (such as Scrum, Extreme Programming and others) are based on process-centric and iterative development rather than a traditional waterfall approach.

Some of the key characteristics of an agile project include a backlog, burn-down charts, frequent communication, and short-cycle delivery of project outputs that don’t typically lend themselves to traditional MS Project scheduling techniques.

In this informative webinar, Matthew will show you techniques and tips on how to use MS Project to effectively manage projects in the new frontier of Agile Project Management!

Presenter: Matthew Davis, PMP, MCITP (LinkedIn profile) is Vice-President for Consulting Services at PM Providers and President of the Microsoft Project Users Group (MPUG) Boston Chapter. Matt has been an active member of the PM Community for more than 20 years and has managed development and delivery of PMO’s, PPM implementation initiatives, project delivery and governance methodologies, strategic change programs, project management technology seminars, and other strategic initiatives for clients of all kinds.

If you are NOT ALREADY a member JOIN MPUG!

This event is for members only BUT…. Even if you only take the 3 session 6 hour MPUG Project Portfolio Management Masterclass (6 Category A PDUs) the$129 Per Year Membership Fee is a terrific value to get the PPM MPUG Certificate and add it to your resume.

MPUG Membership also includes:

1. MPUG’s Project Server and SharePoint certificated courses available to members
2. Over 30 other virtual PDU events per year
3. You can network with other MPUG (Microsoft Project Users Group) members at in person meetings and events.
4. Work with Microsoft MVPs in MS Project Project Server & SharePoint
5. And so much more …….

Seriously consider joining MPUG if you work with SharePoint or Project & earn all the PDUs you will need as a member of MPUG!

Click to register for The New Frontier of Agile Project Management

Live Webinar June 12th, 2013 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT
Webinar Duration: 1 Hour ea Credits: 1 Category B – Free PDUs
Presented by: Modern Analyst

Big data opens an entirely new data universe to consider and use to improve decision making. But how does a business/systems analyst turn it into actual usable data so that it can be used for operational improvements that result in real business value? Success depends on how fast and seamlessly you can combine your big data with your enterprise data and present that collective information to your decision makers.

In this presentation, Modern Analyst will discuss the opportunities that are possible from harnessing big data and the challenges the business/systems analyst must overcome to get a positive ROI from your big data project. They will review the work from several projects where big data from outside the company was used to improve business processes at leading financial and communications companies and will discuss how the integration challenges and delays of batch-oriented big data technologies, such as Hadoop and MongoDB, were overcome to provide “in-context” information to decision makers at the “right time”.

In this webinar, business/systems analysts will learn:

• What is big data and how can it improve your business?
• How big data technologies, such as MongoDB, can be used to store and access data from non-warehoused sources, such as financial trading systems
• The speed advantages of using MongoDB over Hadoop for near real-time analytics
• Techniques for integrating the results of big data queries with traditional enterprise data on a near real-time, or “right time”, basis to instantly benefit the organization.
• Tool and data management strategies that will allow you to reap the benefits from both the vast scope of big data and the contextual information of enterprise data
• Techniques for presenting big data to decision makers

PDU Category B documentation details:

Process Groups: Planning Executing

Knowledge Areas: 4 – Integration 5 – Scope 6 – Time

• 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Execution
• 5.2 Define Scope
• 6.5 Develop Schedule

As a Category C, ‘Self Directed Learning’, activity remember to document your learning experience and its relationship to project management for your ‘PDU Audit Trail Folder.’

Click to register for Combine Big Data with Enterprise Data to Improve Business Performance

Live Webinar – June 13th, 2013 2:00 pm EDT
Presented by: Eclipse Project Portfolio Management
Duration: 1 hour 1 PDUs Credits: Category C 1 PDU- Free PDU

During the project intake process all projects are considered critical, all others never get approved. So how do you decide which “critical” projects are most critical? These decisions are typically made politically, emotionally or without consistency.

The Impact:

• Poor resource utilization
• Frustrated resources
• Projects not aligned with strategic objectives
• Higher risk and lower ROI

Solution Q invites you to attend a webinar demonstrating a balanced approach to prioritizing initiatives. Projects affect many aspects of your business; all factors should be considered when taking on a new project. Learn the prioritization secrets of successful companies using a Project Portfolio Management mentality.

The Result:

• Decreased risk
• Higher ROI
• Optimized resource utilization
• Maximum aggregate value of projects

Who should attend this webinar?
Managers/Directors of PMOs, Project Managers

NOTE: You may have to hit the MORE… link to register for this session on the registration page.

PDU Category C documentation details:

Process Groups: Planning, Monitoring & Controlling

Knowledge Areas: 4 – Integration

• 4.1 Develop Project Charter
• 4.2 Develop Project Management Plan

As a Category C ‘Self Directed Learning Activity’ remember to document your learning experience and its relationship to project management for your ‘PDU Audit Trail Folder’

Click to register for How to Prioritize Projects When Each One is Critical

Live Webinar – June 12th, 2013 11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT
Duration: 1 Hour Credits: 1 PDU Category C- Free PDU
Sponsored by: PEX – The Process Excellence Network

You’ve put your neck on the line and convinced your organization to embark on Business Process Management (BPM).

1. But how sure are you that your deployment will be a success?
2. How do you know whether you’re focused on the areas that will have the biggest impact on business performance?

In this webinar, Forrest Breyfogle (LinkedIn profile) and Rick Haynes (LinkedIn profiles) of Smarter Solutions, discuss the common risks associated with BPM deployments and what you can do to prevent them.

Join this webinar to:

1. Find out where organizations go wrong with BPM and how you can do to avoid these common errors
2. Learn how you can apply a well known management paradigm – the Theory of Constraints (TOC) – to your BPM deployment to ensure you’re focused on the areas of highest impact
3. Gain insight into a structured approach that can help you take your BPM deployment to the next level by ensuring that it’s aligned with the true needs of your business

Presenters:

Forrest W. Breyfogle III CEO Smarter Solutions, has over 2 decades of experience in process improvement and has authored numerous books on statistics and Lean Six Sigma.His published books include Statistical Methods for Testing, Development, and Manufacturing, Implementing Six Sigma: Smarter Solutions Using Statistical Methods, , Managing Six Sigma: A Practical Guide to Understanding, Assessing, and Implementing the Strategy That Yields Bottom-Line Success , Wisdom on the Green: Smarter Six Sigma Business Solutions (co-authored), Lean Six Sigma in Sickness and in Health, and The Integrated Enterprise Excellence System.

Rick Haynes Business Consultant and Statistician Smarter Solutions, has more than 20 years’ experience in project management, training, applied statistics, engineering, and customer support. He holds multiple certifications at all levels of Lean Six Sigma from Champion, Master Black Belt down to Yellow Belt.

PDU Category C documentation details:

Process Groups: Initiating & Executing, Planning

Knowledge Areas: 11 – Risk

• 11.1 Plan Risk Management
• 11.2 Identify Risks
• 11.5 Plan Risk Responses

As a Category C ‘Self Directed Learning Activity’ remember to document your learning experience and its relationship to project management for your ‘PDU Audit Trail Folder’

Click to register for What’s your strategy for avoiding risk in BPM?

Live Webinar June 11th, 2013 – 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EDT or …
Live Webinar June 11th, 2013 – 9:30 pm – 11:00 pm EDT
Duration: 1 Hr Webinar Credits: 1 PDU Category A – Free PDU
Sponsored by: RBCS (REP #2986)

Many smart, otherwise-capable testers sabotage their own careers by committing one or more of the deadly sins of testing.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Testing:

1. Irrelevance/redundancy
2. Ignorance of relevant skills or facts
3. Obstructionism
4. Adversarialism
5. Nit-picking
6. Blindness to project/organizational priorities
7. Last-moment-ism

Are you your own worst enemy?

You might recognize your own behaviors, or behaviors of others on your test team. Rex will discuss these seven sins and more, helping you be more effective in Agile projects.

Rex gives examples of these behaviors through case studies, and tells you how to stop the behaviors and solve the problems those behaviors have created. For sinners and non-sinners alike, Rex offers ideas on how to become a testing saint.

Join Rex and discuss these seven deadly sins.

Presenter: Rex Black (Amazon profile) is President of RBCS, a leader in software, hardware, and systems testing. RBCS employs the industry’s most experienced and recognized consultants, RBCS conducts product testing, builds and improves testing groups and hires testing staff for hundreds of clients worldwide. As the leader of RBCS, Rex is the most prolific author practicing in the field of software testing today.

Check Out some of Rex Black’s Great Books:

1. Foundations of Software Testing ISTQB Certification
2. Managing the Testing Process: Practical Tools and Techniques for Managing Hardware and Software Testing
3. Advanced Software Testing – Vol. 1: Guide to the ISTQB Advanced Certification as an Advanced Test Analyst (Rockynook Computing)
4. Advanced Software Testing – Vol. 2: Guide to the Istqb Advanced Certification as an Advanced Test Manager
5. Advanced Software Testing – Vol. 3: Guide to the ISTQB Advanced Certification as an Advanced Technical Test Analyst
6. Critical Testing Processes: Plan, Prepare, Perform, Perfect
7. Pragmatic Software Testing: Becoming an Effective and Efficient Test Professional
8. ISTQB Foundation Exam Preparation Guide
9. ISTQB Advanced Test Manager Exam Preparation Guide 2nd edition

Click to register for the 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EDT presentation of The Seven Deadly Sins of Testing

Click to register for the 9:30 pm – 11:00 pm EDT presentation of The Seven Deadly Sins of Testing

Live Webinar June 11th, 2013 – 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm EDT
Duration: 1 hour webinar Credits: 1 PDU Category A – Free PDU
Sponsored by: PMI Financial Services Industry CoP (REP #S006)
Presented by: Peteer Taylor “The Lazy Project Manager”

Background:

Organizations demand that the projects that they commission these days are successful in order to meet their increasingly aggressive strategic goals, and for this to be possible the project managers that lead these strategic projects need to be the very best that they can be. But these very projects are also becomingly more challenging.

Method:

So what are the issues that the ’21st Century’ project manager faces that can be very different from projects in the past, or at least more difficult?

A look at five of these will be taken to provoke thought and begin discussions on what we all need to do now.

Here in the 21st Century:

• Profile of projects
• Complexity of projects
• Virtuality of projects
• Sponsoring of projects
• Benefits from projects

Results:

The presentation aims to stimulate thought from the audience about where we should all be focusing our efforts in order to deal with the ’21st Century’ challenges that project managers face.

Conclusions:

Join me in saying ‘goodbye’ to the ‘Accidental Project Manager’ and ‘hallo’ to the ’21st Century Project Manager’.

Presenter: Peter Taylor(LinkedIn profile, @TheLazyPM) is a dynamic and commercially astute professional who has achieved notable success in Project Management. With over the 26 years experience in various business areas Peter has excelled in MRP/ERP systems with various software houses, Business Intelligence (BI) , and product lifecycle management (PLM) with Siemens. He has spent the last 7 years leading PMOs and developing project managers and is now focusing on project based services development with Infor.

Peter is also an accomplished communicator and leader speaking at PMI Chapters/Congresses and the author of several books including The Lazy Project Manager: How to be twice as productive and still leave the office early and ‘Leading Successful PMOs‘ (Gower) and teaches leadership to business professionals with ‘The Lazy Winner‘. Check out his terrific website and listen to his free podcasts in iTunes.

Note: You do have to be a PMI® member to register for this opportunity.

Click to register for The 21st Century Project Manager