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The mission of the EPM Solutions Mini Seminars series is to offer experienced project management professionals quick-hit, cost-effective performance-impacting learning opportunities. EPM Solutions always strives to give customers quality and pertinent education that will further their careers as project managers. This is accomplished by:

Class times that don’t intrude on work or personal schedules – typically offered Saturday mornings from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM as well as evening webcasts
Enough offerings for PMPs to obtain at least 20, PDUs per year – each class is worth 5 PDUs
Cost of less than $18 per PDU
Topics include traditional PM issues as well as leading edge thinking, tools and approaches
Take-home tools that can be immediately used by the participants
Taught by seasoned practitioners who are also trainers instead of only trainers

EPM Solutions has been reviewed and approved as a provider of project management training by the Project Management Institute (PMI). As a PMI Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.), EPM Solutions has agreed to abide by PMI established quality assurance criteria. All courses qualify for Category 3 PDUs and can be found in the R.E.P. database on the PMI website.

"I just want to say the Earned Value Analysis class was fabulous. I have not taken a course in your program that I did not get value from. I hope this program continues as I find great value in the content. Thanks for your leadership." - A Satisfied Customer

3/3/07 "Yet another solid class in this program. Very satisfied!" - Another Satisfied Customer

Refund Policy:

A refund request can be sent to
info@enterprisepmsolutions.com up to 15 days prior to the course date and a full refund
minus the Paypal fee of $2.88 will be granted. An exchange for another course within the same calendar year will also be granted if the request is made in advance of the course date.

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The conference call for the Webcast is a toll number, nominal long distance charges (at most $10) will apply or cell phone minutes can be used.

Class Abstracts

Project Management and RUP - Bert Sandler, PMP

Course Description:

Have you considered how IBM’s Rational Unified Process (RUP) will change the way you manage your project? Can RUP and the PMBOK coexist? Does the RUP Project Management discipline meet PMBOK standards?

This course is designed to discuss and identify ways that project managers can manage and control projects using the RUP and PMBOK. Software development projects have unique characteristics and many organizations are taking advantage of the RUP methodology. Project managers need to able to develop project schedules, deliverables, project plans, risk plans, iteration assessment plans and the other artifacts to deliver successful product. This course will provide project managers with the knowledge and tactical documentation needed to work in a RUP environment.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:

Understand the Rational Unified Process, Iterative development, the goals and deliverables of each phase.
Define the Project Management discipline.
Understand the differences and similarities between RUP and PMBOK.
Understand the RUP project management artifacts.
Develop a Software Development Plan.
Develop Iteration plans.
Use the RUP Planning Guide Tool.
Build Iteration project schedules.

Biography:

Bert Sandler, PMP, is currently a Sr. Project Manager and project scheduler. He has more than 20 years of Information Technology experience. He has been employed as a Project Manager for 11 years, working at Cap Gemini America, Ceridian Employer Services, GTE, Coca-Cola and Scientific-Atlanta. He was on the Rational implementation team at the Georgia Department of Transportation. As the tool was implemented, he managed the first project using the Rational suite of tools and the Team Unifying Process (TUP).

He is currently employed at Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), in the Government Healthcare Systems PMO. ACS specializes in IT and BP Outsourcing. ACS has modified the iterative approach to software development as its SDLC. Bert has mentored many of his colleagues in the use of Rational and PMI principles. He developed most of the project artifacts and the project schedules for many RUP projects. He has a BS and MS in Computer Science from LaSalle University in Louisiana.

Problem Solving for Project Managers- John Kailey, PMP

Course Description:

Do you sometimes wonder why your solutions to problems don’t seem to solve the problem? Have you ever been confronted by a problem with several apparent solutions, only to discover that none of them actually solved the problem? Have you ever been confronted by a customer with the statement “Your application doesn’t work fast enough for my users”, and wondered how you were going to define the problem, let alone solve it?

This course will give you tools to identify the real problem, the root causes, potential solutions, and ultimately the solution that answers the concerns of all stakeholders. It will give you a process that will reduce, if not eliminate, the “sharpshooting” that Project Managers can encounter when attempting to solve problems.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:
· Formulate a solution to a problem
· Discuss a problem-solving technique
· Use a problem solving technique to determine the best solution to a business problem

Biography:

John Kailey is an experienced Project Manager in infrastructure and development projects. John has managed commercial and government projects for over 15 years. He has worked at HP, the CDC, and on the Future Combat Systems Program. In addition, he has over 26 years Active Duty and Reserve service.

John lives in Kennesaw with his family and is active in the Atlanta PMI Chapter.

Advanced Quality Management

This class is co-sponsored with TenStep, Inc.

"We are pleased to collaborate with TenStep, Inc. (www.TenStep.com) on the delivery of this quality management class. TenStep is a local Kennesaw company that has a number of products, classes and consulting services that complement our own products and services. This quality management class is just one of over 60 classes in their curriculum. We look forward to working with them on this class and others in the future."

Course Description:

This course recaps the fundamentals of quality management and proceeds through a discussion of more advanced quality management techniques. Students will learn how to apply quality management techniques on their projects and how to initiate quality management techniques throughout their organization. Topics include a discussion of the basics of quality, the founders of the modern quality movement, control charts, cause-and-effect diagrams, quality metrics, Pareto charts and much more. This class also covers the basics of using quality assurance techniques to monitor outsourced projects. An optional section at the end highlights different quality management techniques used in the USA and around the world.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:
· Explain the definition of quality and basic quality concepts
· Build a Quality Management Plan, including quality control and quality assurance activities
· Understand a number of advanced quality management techniques for your project
· Use quality assurance techniques to manage outsourced work
· Understand the organizational characteristics needed to support an overall quality program

Process Flowchart and Documentation - Chuck Spencer, PMP

Course Description:

Do your flow charts look like they belong in a can with sauce, meatballs and a picture of Chef Boyardee on the label? Do you suffer from dangling activities, unresolvable decision trees, or intangible outputs? In this webinar, you will learn valuable techniques for creating simple to detailed process flow charts that will provide the level of detail and clarity your project needs. But wait, there’s more! You will also learn:

· The use of common process flow symbols and key terminology
· How to identify the ‘right’ level to document a process
· How to develop and document a process by interviewing process participants
· How to expand your flowchart with process narratives and activity dictionaries

So act today, and turn that useless spaghetti into usable information. Sign up for this valuable course and you will earn 5 valuable PDUs plus have some fun along the way. And remember: only you can prevent unterminated flows!

While the actual amount of knowledge gained varies by participant, and is governed not just by intake, but by exercising the techniques learned in this class, we are confident that you and your team members will be amazed at how much better your process charts look and how much more usable detail they provide after taking this class.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:
· Understand how to develop simple to detailed flow charts
· Understand the use of common flowchart symbols
· Determine the “right level” to document a process
· Interview process participants to collect the information required to develop process documentation
· Expand the detail depicted in the flowchart through the use of process narratives and activity dictionaries

Biography:

Chuck Spencer is a seasoned veteran with both a PMP certification and EXIN certification as an IT Service Management Expert. He has extensive IT process improvement and project management experience working with or for companies such as ATT, EDS, MCI Systemhouse, Diamond Technologies, Cambridge, ACS and FNIS. He has spent considerable time “in the trenches” doing process analysis and developing process documentation and is highly regarded as a process expert.

Chuck lives in Dallas with his wife Shirley and his best friend Willie, the three-legged dachshund. Chuck is a member of PMI, ITSMF, and active in the Dallas ITSMF Local Interest Group.

Managing Self Organizing Teams, What is a Project Manager to do?- Jann Thomas

Course Description:

Agile software development methodology is sweeping the IT Industry. Many organizations are experimenting with Agility. Often the change in the development process is either a change initiated by the development team, or a change mandated by upper management. In changes initiated by developers, the interactions with other teams, development metrics, progress reports and planning can suffer. In changes mandated by management, new process acceptance, merging Agile into the organizational knowledge, and communicating in all directions can be significant challenges. Most importantly, empowering the delivery team changes the role of the Project Manager.

This course is designed to ease the transition from waterfall project management practices to Agile project management practices. Participants will learn key practices that will focus teams on delivery. Hands-on session will present the difference in approach to Agile project management and deliver tools for tracking project progress in a low-tech Agile way.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:
• Identify core Agile development practices
• Identify differences between waterfall and Agile project management
• Understanding the “sweet spot” for Agile projects
• Understand Agile project metrics
• Hold release and iteration planning sessions
• Hold release and iteration review sessions

Biography:

Jann Thomas is a 15-year veteran of the software industry. She has worked as a developer, team lead and development manager leading teams to deliver great software. Jann has been practicing Agile development techniques since 1998 and implemented her first Agile Project in 2000. She holds a Master’s in Computer Science and a Bachelor’s in Engineering. She has a Project Manager Professional certification from the Project Management Institute. In June 2004, she spoke at the International Conference on Software Process Improvement and in April 2008, she spoke at Software and System Quality Conference International. Jann is currently working as a Project Manager for ThoughtWorks in Atlanta, Georgia.

Baby Steps to Agility- Jann Thomas

Course Description:

Agile software development methodology is sweeping the IT Industry. Many organizations are experimenting with Agility and there are many “brands” of Agile, including Scrum, XP, Lean, Crystal Clear and DSDM. Adoption of one of these methodologies could be wholesale in the case of a small, well-defined project that has no dependencies on other projects and can be completely delivered by a trained and motivated team. As these types of adoptions are rare, organizations are looking for ways to ease into Agile practices without losing productivity.

This course is designed to discuss and identify ways that project managers can facilitate the transition to Agile practices. Participants learn basic Agile practices as well as techniques for introducing them to the software delivery team. Hands-on session will present common software delivery problems and the Agile path to solutions.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:
• Identify core Agile development practices
• Identify delivery pain points and Agile solutions
• Team focus and “buy-in” exercises
• Understand Agile project metrics
• Hold an iteration review focused on process changes

Biography:

Effective SOW Development - Manny Rodriguez, PMP® , C.P.M

Course Description:

The Statement of Work (SOW) is the mechanism used when purchasing products and/or services to satisfy organizational needs. The SOW is read and interpreted by personnel with diverse training, background, and experience in such fields as engineering, science, accounting, law, contracting, and project management. Careful drafting of the SOW is, therefore essential.

This course will provide guidance, instructions and references for the preparation of statements of work for any environment or project. Although it will provide coverage for statements of work in general, the content also emphasizes the use of Performance (Based) Work Statements (PWS). As a general policy many organizations require that all contracts account for PWS and focus on outcomes or results versus methods of performance or processes. Acquisition reform is striving to reduce risk by using performance-based specifications and standards, which make the contractor responsible for providing the product/service requested, assuming the risk for meeting performance requirements, and seeking innovations to efficiently and effectively achieve performance objectives. The course will also discuss the importance of giving the contractor greater latitude for determining methods of performance, with more responsibility for performance quality. Coupling the PWS concept with a clear and concise SOW will lead to more cost-effective acquisitions and better value for all types of customers.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to identify and document as part of the SOW:

• Generally required background information
• Objectives to be met
• Tasks and specific work
• Deliverables and delivery schedule
• Place of performance
• Period of performance
• Appropriate and unambiguous language

Biography:

Manny's focus is the transformation of business needs into successful ventures through the use of proven project management tools and techniques. He is an experienced instructor, consultant and advisor, having done work in the US, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Australia, Canada and Puerto Rico. His experience expands 20 plus years in the interralated disciplines of telecommunications engineering, project management, procurement, organizational design and development, process engineering, quality management and project team facilitation. He has held numerous management positions including Senior Director of Operations with responsibilities ranging from multi-disciplilne, multi-million dollar projects utilizing internal and external resources. Manny's accomplishments include:

Teaching over 4,000 students, maintaining an overall satisfactory rating greater than 90 percent
Negotiating, formulating and managing contracts with extraordinary requirements, capital budget purchases and system enhancements

Manny has a BS in Management from Barry University and a Master's Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University. He is a Project Management Professional (PMP® ) and a Certified Prchasing Manager (C.P.M).

PMO - Does My Organization Need One?– Peggy Joyner, MBA, PMP

A Program Management Office (PMO) is an effective approach for organizations to enhance their ability to achieve strategic and operational results. Understanding the fundamental aspects of traditional PMOs and which compoents will fit given the organizational context is a challenge. This course is designed to give participants an overview of the basics of PMOs, their functions, and implementation considerations. By the end of the course, each participant will be able to:

Discuss the functions and critical success factors of a PMO
Describe four PMO models
Evaluate organizational factors for consideration in selecting the appropriate model for an organization
Develop a PMO implementation plan
Identify upcoming trends from PMOs

Biography:

Peggy Joyner has completed a 34 year career with the State of Georgia and begun a second career consulting on Project, Program and Portfolio Management Offices and organizational IT Governance. During her last 5 years with the Sate, she was Director of the Office of Program Management for the Georgia Technology Authority with the responsibility of providing oversight and program management of all Georgia technology projects exceeding $1 million. During this time, she spearheaded the development of activities to implement IT Governance for the State along with activities to increase project management competencies for all State of Georgia project managers. Currently, Peggy is on assignment at the Centers for Disease Control and is leading a project team defining and implementing refinements to their IT governance including the development of a project management framework.

Peggy holds an MBA from Georgia State University and a BBA in Computer Information Systems from Clayton College and State University. She obtained her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in October 2001 and has been an active member of the Project Management Institute since 2000. Peggy has her own consulting company focusing on program and project management services and training.

IT Governance - Peggy Joyner, MBA, PMP

Course Description:

Information, and the technology that supports it, represents a very valuable asset for most organizations. Industry best practices and research indicate that successful organizations recognize the benefits of their information resources and use them to drive the accomplishment of their missions. In order for this to occur, there must be effective information technology governance processes including the appropriate structures and resources.

There are many driving forces for organizations to develop, refine, and implement effective governance for information resources. Several of these drivers include:
· The need for systems to be interoperable within and outside organizations
· Rapidly growing complexities in information systems and technologies
· Budget pressures with greater information system needs

Research on the topic of IT governance suggests that organizations that implement effective governance for their information resources would have a greater ability to meet the organization’s mission. Studies indicate effective governance provides a decision making structure that focuses on ensuring information resource strategies are aligned with the overall organization’s strategy and that the appropriate balance of investments are made. Specific benefits that may be derived include:
· Greater information resources alignment with business needs
· Broader strategic planning coordination
· Improved efficiency, effectiveness and interoperability
· Greater agility for meeting demands with a quicker response

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:
· Identify the 5 key components to IT Governance
· Identify IT governance functions
· Discuss the characteristics of successful IT Governance
· Understand the potential roles of a PMO in IT Governance

Biography:

ITIL V3, What It Means to PM– Chuck Spencer, PMP

Course Description:

Have you wondered what ITIL V3 is all about and more importantly, how it affects you as a project manager? Should you pursue ITIL Certification? If so, what kind? This course will provide you with an overview of ITIL V3 by explaining the background behind ITIL, the current V3 ITIL books and the area of knowledge they encompass, and the levels of ITIL certification along with what it takes to achieve each level. The course will also discuss the role of Project Management in the ITIL Service Lifecycle.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:
• Understand what ITIL V3 is and how it came to be.
• Understand and be able to explain the ITIL Service Lifecycle.
• Understand the role of Project Management within ITIL V3.
• Understand how ITIL Certification is structured and what is required to achieve certification at each level.
• Determine their course of action to gain ITIL Certification.

Biography:

Chuck Spencer is a PMP with an ITIL Service Manager’s Certification in ITIL Version 2 and has completed the V3 Bridge to qualify him for ITIL Expert Certification. Chuck has extensive IT process improvement and project management experience and has worked for, or consulted with, companies such as ATT, EDS, MCI Systemhouse, Diamond Technologies, Cambridge, ACS and FNIS. Chuck is a member of ITSMF and very active in the Dallas Local ITSMF Interest Group.

This situation emphasizes the criticality of sensitizing project managers to the nuances of the various cultural environments in which the project is being executed. For example, different cultures place varying emphases on important factors such as age and gender. While in an ideal world such factors would not matter, in the real world they do, especially when managing a culturally-diverse project team.

This class will address both the problems associated with managing projects across cultures, as well as provide some insights into how to address common issues that emerge when executing projects globally.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the challenges of “managing across cultures” and define the specific parameters that lead to those challenges (e.g., age, gender, language, customs, etc.)

Present case studies regarding specific situations commonly encountered by project managers with global, virtual teams, and explore the various options for resolving the situation in the most productive and amicable manner.
Summarize the learnings from the case studies, and present some general “rules of the road” for managing global, culturally-diverse project teams.

Biography:

Andrew has 20+ years of experience as a technology project manager and consultant. He has worked for the past 10 years as a program manager and consultant in the customer service / technical support areas. He has worked with a number of Fortune 500 companies in a wide variety of industries to help them implement state-of-the-art contact center technologies and improve operational efficiencies. His most recent experiences have been with customers in the digital broadband (telecom/cable), consumer electronics, and professional services industries.

His specialty is helping these managers measure their organization’s baseline performance, use those measures to suggest tactical and strategic improvement initiatives, implement new technologies and processes aimed at realizing operational improvement, and establish as well as achieve targeted improvement metrics. During the past ten years working for leading customer service software vendors, he has successfully delivered multiple implementations making extensive use of offshore development resources (primarily in India). He has written and presented numerous articles in the technology and project management areas, most recently “Measuring Global Project Performance and Value” at the Atlanta PMI Professional Development Day meeting (August, 2007) and at the 4th International PMI SCC Conference held in Macoya, Trinidad (September, 2007).

Andrew has a MS in Management from the MIT Sloan School and a MS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford. He has been a certified PMP since 2001. He is also a member of Atlanta Telecom Professionals (ATP), and Microsoft Project Association (MPA).

Managing Risk: A Question of Balance – Rich Maltzman, PMP

Some contend that a project manager’s core work is as the risk manager of the project. Even if you don’t believe that, it’s clear that as a PM you constantly deal with risk. Using the concept and theme of balance throughout, this course takes the participant through the processes of risk management – risk planning, risk identification, risk analysis, risk response, and monitoring and control of risk – never losing sight of the project context. Peppered with class discussions to get the most from the attendees’ varied backgrounds (and to provide more balance!) it is also enhanced with interactions that engage all participants. This journey through the world of uncertainty will reinforce basic risk courseware you may have had and will leave you with some thought-provoking concepts but also with down-to-earth tools to use on real projects.

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:

1. Gain a deeper, more integrated understanding of how risk affects a project

2. Translate this into how this affects the planning of their projects

3. Collect, understand, and use advice and tools for risk identification

4. Improve their capabilities in risk analysis

5. Expand their capabilities of developing effective risk responses

6. Reaffirm the importance of continuing, ongoing risk management

Biography:

Rich Maltzman, PMP, has been an engineer since 1978 and a Project Management supervisor since 1988, including a recent 2-year assignment in The Netherlands in which he built a team of PMs overseeing deployments of telecom networks in Europe and the Middle East. His project work has been diverse, including projects such as the successful deployment of the entire video and telecom infrastructure for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, to the 2006 integration of the PMOs of two large merging corporations. As a second, but intertwined career, Rich has also focused on consulting and teaching, having developed curricula and/or taught at:

Boston University's Corporate Education Center
Merrimack College
Northern Essex Community College
University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Rich has also professionally developed PMP-exam prep courseware, including exams and books. He even edited and was "the voice" for a set of 8 Audio CDs - a major part of a PMP prep course for an international company, for whom he has also facilitated PMP exam study groups. Rich was selected for the Modeling Team for the 4th Edition PMBOK Guide to be published by PMI in 2008, and contributed to the chapters on Quality and Risk.

Currently, Rich is Senior Manager, Learning and Professional Advancement, at the Global Program Management Office of a major telecom concern.

Rich’s educational background includes a BSEE from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and an MSIE from Purdue University. In addition, Rich has a mini-MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and a Master's Certificate in international business management granted jointly from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business and INSEAD of France. From a Project Management standpoint, Rich received his PMP in 2000 after earning the Stevens Institute's Master's Certificate in 1999. He has presented papers on Project Management at conferences in Huizen, The Netherlands, Mexico City and Long Beach, California.

Rich is currently co-authoring a book with Ranjit Biswas, PMP, entitled "The Fiddler on the Project", a portion of which is being collaboratively written on the web via a wiki, and posts regularly on his blog, Scope Crêpe.

Measuring Global Project Performance and Value – Andrew Gurbaxani, MS, PMP

Projects in many industries are increasingly being performed on a global basis by virtual teams. The lack of direct personal contact between project team members, who may or may not have the same employer and almost certainly operate in different cultural and work environments, can lead to project execution issues. This situation emphasizes the need for increased coordination by project managers, and the critical need for real-time project reporting against standardized project metrics. In addition to these internal project performance measures, there is a real need to establish external (customer-facing) measures of the value provided by the project. This presentation will address both internal and external measures of project performance and value.l

Biography:

How to Turn Conflict into Collaboration – Kim Freedman, PMP

Course Description:

Every project has stakeholders, and when you have stakeholders with competing needs, you are going to have conflict. Conflict is not "bad," in fact it can be beneficial if seen as an opportunity for improving project communication and leading to better problem solving. However, conflict does need to be recognized, managed effectively, and resolved. This class examines the causes of conflict, typical responses, and the process of conflict resolution. Through lecture and exercises, you'll learn how to turn conflict into collaboration by surfacing the issues creating the conflict, promoting a win-win scenario, and obtaining a commitment to action. The Knowledge Area and Processes covered in this course are: Project Human Resource Management, Develop Project Team, and Manage Project Team.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:
• Define conflict
• Discuss the impact of conflict on a project
• Identify your preferred conflict style
• Describe the primary causes of conflict
• Name the conditions and skills needed to mediate conflict effectively
• List the steps in conflict resolution

The cost of the course includes a $15 independent assessment fee.

Biography:

Kim Freedman has over 20 years of experience managing people, projects, and business operations - primarily within IT companies such as EDS, Sapient and ACS. In addition to the PMP® designation, Kim has a professional certification in Human Resource Management and has worked as an HR Director and corporate trainer. She earned an undergraduate degree in Nursing from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA degree with a concentration in Management and Organization Development from Georgia State University. She also received professional coach training through the Coaches Training Institute (CTI). Kim is the owner of Catalyst Leadership Coaching, LLC, which uses customized training programs and one-on-one coaching to help businesses develop effective leaders and productive teams. Kim also offers personal development coaching to professionals who want to make more conscious choices and achieve their career and life goals through deliberate and inspired action. Kim is a member of the International Coach Federation and serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Coach Association. She is also an active member in the following professional organizations: Technology Association of Georgia, Women In Technology, and the Society for Human Resource Management—Atlanta chapter.

Managing Stakeholder Expectations- The Key to Project Success– Diane D. Miller, PMP

Managing to the triple constraint may be important, but true project success is measured by stakeholder satisfaction. In this class you'll learn how to manage the expectations of project stakeholders by following a simple Plan-Do-Check-Act formula. Solve your current project communication challenges by developing the framework for a realistic plan that you can begin executing when you get back to the office.

Using a combination of information sharing and relevant exercises, we will review the foundational project management skills needed to effectively manage stakeholder success. Each participant will build their own stakeholder analysis and stakeholder management plan based on a current real-world challenge or a challenge faced in the past. Using this same scenario, we will explore and practice techniques to effectively execute your plan. Then we will discuss ways to make sure you stay on track. You will leave this class armed with an actionable plan and the skills needed to successfully execute.

And just to keep us honest…
For those studying for the PMP exam (or that need a little refresher), the materials that we cover will be cross referenced back to the PMBOK.

By the end of this class, participants will:

Understand the purpose of a Stakeholder Analysis (Communications Requirements Analysis).
Have created a Stakeholder Analysis (Communications Requirements Analysis).
Understand the purpose of a Stakeholder Management Plan (Communication Management Plan).
Have created a Stakeholder Management Plan (Communication Management Plan).
Be aware of various techniques to execute a stakeholder management plan. (Communication Management Plan)
Have practiced techniques to execute a Stakeholder Management Plan (Communication Management Plan)
Be aware of techniques to evaluate a Stakeholder Management Plan (Communication Management Plan).
Be conscious of the need to take action for continuous improvement in stakeholder management.
Understand that stakeholder management occurs throughout the life a project.

Biography:

Diane D. Miller is a Principal at Satori Consulting, Inc. where she plays an integral part in the development of this innovative business. In this role, Diane is responsible for planning major projects, managing client relationships and establishing project standards for Satori. Diane also actively consults on process improvement engagements and works closely with clients to effectively manage organizational change.

Diane is a career project management professional with more than 17 years experience working with companies to define and achieve business objectives. Prior to joining Satori, Diane led the Information Technology PMO for Coca-Cola Enterprises. In this role, she was instrumental in shaping the project management practices used to execute multi-million dollar projects and in managing the overall project portfolio. Earlier in her career, Diane held several consultancy positions with companies like Rare Medium, Cambridge Technology Partners and EDS. Her strong project management skills coupled with a solid foundation of business experience and an IT background have enabled Diane to successfully introduce and execute innovative business solutions to a variety of clients which include: The Ritz Carlton, BellSouth, Comcast, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Temple University and Mars Inc.

Throughout her career, Diane has helped colleagues improve their project management skills and increase their overall project delivery effectiveness through a combination of training and coaching. She also taught aspiring student project managers the science and fine art of Project Management at The Art Institute of Atlanta. Diane now continues this passion for teaching by working with EPM Solutions to deliver training to project managers ready to take their project management skills to a higher level.

Diane is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) that has earned a Masters Certificate in Project Management from Regis University and a Bachelors of Science in Management Information Systems from Syracuse University.

Although a native New Yorker at heart, Diane now lives with her family in Atlanta, GA.

Project Managers are from Mars, Project Resources are from Venus– Andrew Gurbaxani, PMP

In many cases, Project Managers are PMP -certified, eminently qualified and experienced, and yet their projects fail. Why? It is often due to "relationship issues which stem from a "failutre to communicate" (sound familiar?) If communication in one form or another is 90% of the PM's job, how can they do a better job of it?

This is not a touchy-feely "I'm OK, You're OK" seminar. We are going to get into the nitty-gritty of project communications and resource management, with a focus on the real-world implications for PMs. For example, how do you interview project resources and gain reassurance that they will not ultimately fail you? How do you get total strangers on board, motivated, and working hard for you? How do you know how to pay and reward them for their efforts, and when? How do you manage the inevitable interpersonal conflict, create team spirit, and improve morale? How do you know when to let project resources go (legally) and under what circumstances?

While PMs are motivated by "hard" goals (e.g., getting signoff on deliverables, executing tasks within project budget and schedule), project resources are often motivated by "soft" goals (e.g., the project experience, skills development, networking for their next gig). Can "Mars" and "Venus" find a way to work together for the benefit of the project?

At the end of this course, class participants should gain insight into:

• Distinguishing between different project communications styles and identifying the appropriate style, depending upon the situation.
• Identifying the factors which can disrupt or impede effective project communications
• Selecting project resources who will be more likely to help your project succeed than make it fail
• Engaging project resources efficiently and productively
• Motivating project resources to perform at the level necessary to ensure project success (and improve themselves and others in the process)
• Releasing project resources (the good, the bad, and the ugly).
• What to do if nothing else works with regarding to project communications.

Biography:

Unlock Your Project Team's Potential Through Coaching - Kim Freedman, PMP

Do you want to maximize the productivity and efffectiveness of your project team? Try coaching them! The best Project Managers use coaching skills to guide individual team members to achieve extraordinary results. In this class you'll learn more about this thing called coaching and discover how it is similar and different from mentoring. You'll be introduced to coaching models, explore the basic skill set for coaches and mentors, get an opportunity to practice some coaching/mentoring skills, and much more. You'll also leave the class with practical strategies for coaching others to set goals, develop action plans, and obtain desired results.

Biography:

Kim Freedman has over 20 years of experience managing people, projects, and business operations - primarily within IT companies such as EDS, Sapient and ACS. In addition to the PMP® designation, Kim has a professional certification in Human Resources and has worked as an HR Director and corporate trainer. She earned an undergraduate degree in Nursing from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA degree with a concentration in Management and Organization Develoment from Georgia State University. She also received professional coach training through the Coaches Training Institute (CTI). Kim is the owner of Catalyst Leadership Coaching, which uses customized training programs and one-on-one coaching to help businesses develop leaders who deliver outstanding results. Kim also offers personal coaching to professionals who want to achieve their life and career goals in the quickest time possible.

Managing Project Risk - Manny Rodriguez, PMP, C.P.M

This course is designed to give the participant a thorough understanding of risks in projects. The course will take the participants through the process of risk identification, evaluation and mitigation planning for each risk identified. This seminar will serve as a footing and guide to manage an effective project, keeping within the confines of the triple constraints. In addition, this course visits financial impacts as the result of negative and positive risk outcomes.

Biography:

Teaching over 4,000 students, maintaining an overall satisfactory rating greater than 90 percent
Negotiating, formulating and managing contracts with extraordinary requirements, capital budget purchases and system enhancements

Project/Program Metrics and Dashboards – Mike Hayes, PMP, M.S.

During a large project/program, a vast amount of project data is collected. It is the project manager’s responsibility to collect the appropriate project data and display the information that paints the correct picture of the project/program.

This picture can tell you stories of high dollars, great risk, or unrealistic staffing requirements. Utilizing the correct project metrics will allow you, the project manager, to keep your finger on the pulse of your project and provide you with the data to communicate the status of the project to your Stakeholders. This seminar will explore a variety of project metrics to fit your project’s needs, and to build dashboards from them.

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:
• Understand the distinctions between a project and program
• Identify specific metrics to capture and track for projects
• Implement a step by step process for defining metrics
• Evaluate metric data over time to identify correlations and trends
• Understand the application of Earned Value techniques in metric report
• Understand the value and objectives of a project/program dashboard
• Understand the keys to a successful dashboard
• Develop a customized dashboard for their specific project

Biography:

Mike Hayes has over 19 years of experience in software development life cycle processes, including project and program management. Mike has successfully delivered large projects for a wide range of customers, including the USAF and State of Georgia. In addition to his government industry experience, Mike has experience within the Telecommunications and HealthCare industries. One of Mike’s proudest achievements was his development and delivery of the Accreditation Badging System for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

As a Service Delivery Manager for Keane Inc., an international IT consulting company, Mike developed a strong background in all phases of project management, from presales support, to proposal development, to implementation, and beyond. Mike also brings 15 years of active duty Air Force experience to the classroom. Over the past 2 years Mike has developed an extremely successful track record in preparing experienced Project Manager for the PMP certification exam.

Mike earned a Bachelors in Computer Science from the University of South Florida and a Masters in Computers & Information Science from Troy State University. He lives in Marietta, GA with his wife and two teenage boys.

The BA Versus PM Struggle – Robin Tracy, PMP, CBAP

How many times are we, as Project Managers, asked to wear multiple hats? In today's business environment company's expect more than just one skill set for their money. This class will help those who are asked to wear the hat of Business Analyst and Project Manager by clearly defining what each role is in an IT project, as well as provide useful templates for participants to use in their daily jobs. The class includes a demonstration using MS Project and Requisite Pro that shows shortcuts to creating project schedules. The attendees will leave this interactive class understanding both the BA and PM roles as well as when to "wear which hat" to be most effective.

Biography:

Robin Tracy is the President of Advanced Solutions Consulting, Inc. currently on assignment at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA managing multiple projects for the National Center for HIV, STD, TB, Prevention Informatics Office. She is also working with the CCID Informatics Workgroup in establishing roles and responsibilities for the newly organizing CCID Informatics Office.

Robin is one of 200 Certified Business Analysis Professionals (CBAP) and is uniquely qualified to discuss the struggles between the Project Manager and Business Analyst on a project team.

Robin has many years of project and program management experience in private as well as the public sector. Her education includes a BBA from Georgia State University as well as numerous certifications. Robin achieved her Project Management Professional (PMP® ) designation in 2004 and is actively involved in the Project Management Institute serving as Program Director for Education in 2006 and currently on the bylaws committee for the Atlanta Chapter.

Earned Value Analysis – Eric Hughes, PMP

A workshop for mastering an understanding of the key elements of earned value analysis as it pertains to scope, cost, schedule and optimum planning and control. This workshop will teach you how to predict future project performance based on historical data as well as how to display and interpret Earned Value Analysis results in graphical form.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to:

List the planning elements that are essential to setting up projects for Earned Value tracking.
Understand the importance of Earned Value in managing your projects.
Understand Earned Value terminology and formulas.
Demonstrate how to calculate cost and schedule variances and apply other Earned Value metrics to determine current project performance.
Forecast final cost and schedule results using the cost performance index and the schedule performance index and graphically display results.
Identify what must be done to implement Earned Value effectively.

“Excellent class on a very difficult subject - Eric was very good, knew his subject and answered all questions” – Class Attendee

Biography:

After his military career, Eric joined Byers Engineering Company in 1998 as a Business Process Manager and was responsible for promoting project management principles and standards throughout the company. As a Director for operations and planning, his responsibilities included oversight of program management throughout the data services and software development organizations. He developed a quality control process based on the American National Standards for Sampling Attributes and was responsible for the overall Quality Assurance Compliance Audit Program.

Eric currently works as a Six Sigma Black Belt and Deployment Leader for ZC Sterling. He collaborates with product line executives to identify potential areas for improvement and leads project teams thru the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology. He also provides Six Sigma Green Belt training, coaching and mentoring throughout the organization.

As a private consultant, Eric works with local companies to develop project management and process improvement capabilities. He is also an Adjunct Professor in Shorter College’s School of Business.

Eric has an advanced degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Penn State. He has his Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI). He also received his Six Sigma Black Belt training and certification from Georgia Tech College of Management and is an American Society for Quality Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB).

Saving Troubled Projects - Manny Rodriguez, PMP, C.P.M

This seminar presents the "nuts and bolts" about taking a failing project and restoring it to a meaningful conclusion. The driving concept in this fast-paced course is based on the concept that the project must be saved. It will give the participant the foundation in which to apply experience, tools and techniques as means of salvaging the project in a tight time frame. The course not only explores the planning and recovery, but the student will develop a clear understanding of constraints and what is required in order to deliver customer satisfaction.

Biography:

Teaching over 4,000 students, maintaining an overall satisfactory rating greater than 90 percent
Negotiating, formulating and managing contracts with extraordinary requirements, capital budget purchases and system enhancements

Lessons Learned Best Practices – Lisa A. Grant, MBA, PMP

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” –Albert Einstein

Today’s companies are increasingly projectized. Valuable education and experience is achieved with each project undertaken by an organization. However, those experiences are often lost and not leveraged to improve future projects of the organization.

By definition, a project is a temporary endeavor. Once it is over the team is usually assigned to other projects, and all of the lessons learned go with them. It is the project manager’s responsibility to collect this valuable information and archive it in order for it to be leveraged in similar projects.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

Recognize the importance of gathering and implementing valuable knowledge to be reused for the betterment of future project success
Identify project-life-cycle phases in which Lessons Learned are gathered and implemented
Specify the importance of timing in gathering Lessons Learned
Build Lessons Learned knowledge sources that can be effectively utilized for future projects

Biography:

Lisa A. Grant is a Professional Project Manager. Not because she achieved the PMP® certificate from the Project Management Institute in 1996, but because she has committed her career to the advancement of the project management discipline through consulting, training, coaching and volunteering. She has influenced and improved project management processes in various industries and functional areas such as Knowledge Management, Healthcare, e-Learning, State and Federal Government, Automotive, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Human Resources, Payroll, Textile, and Beverage verticals.

Her consulting value proposition stems from 20+ years of Information Technology experience including full life-cycle application development (SDLC), software implementations, e-learning product launches, Program Management Office creation, Business Process Mapping, and process improvement business consulting.

Her tactical training experience includes e-learning, instructor-led programs and involvement in communities of practice. She is also a fervent blogger and podcaster of Project Management topics and war stories. Personal improvement is Lisa’s passion and she regularly coaches new project managers, and is an official mentor for Toastmasters Club 8708.

She has serviced PMI in various volunteer roles such as a participant on PMI Global PMP exam writing committees, as the Program Manager for the Certification and Education Committee of the PMI Atlanta Chapter, and is currently the Chair of the PMI Atlanta Chapter. Additionally, she performed the role of Secretary for Toastmasters Club 8708 in 2005, and was Program Director for the Atlanta Microsoft Project Association in 2006.

“Providing handouts allowed attendees to take back to their jobs a working instrument" – Class Attendee

Measuring Global Project Performance and Value – Andrew Gurbaxani, PMP

Biography:

Mr. Gurbaxani has 20+ years of experience as a technology project manager and consultant. He has worked for the past 10 years as a program manager and consultant in the customer service / technical support areas. He has worked with a number of Fortune 500 companies in a wide variety of industries to help them implement state-of-the-art contact center technologies and improve operational efficiencies. His most recent experiences have been with customers in the digital broadband (telecom/cable), hospitality, and professional services industries.

His specialty is helping these managers measure their organization’s baseline performance, use those measures to suggest tactical and strategic improvement initiatives, implement new technologies and processes aimed at realizing operational improvement, and establish as well as achieve targeted improvement metrics. During the past eight years working for leading customer service software vendors, he has successfully delivered multiple implementations making extensive use of offshore development resources (primarily in India). He has written numerous articles in the technology area, most recently “Measuring Global Project Performance and Value” for the Atlanta PMI Professional Development Day meeting (August, 2006).

Mr. Gurbaxani has a MS in Management from the MIT Sloan School and a MS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford. He has been a certified PMP® since 2001. He is also a member of Atlanta Telecom Professionals (ATM), MIT Enterprise Forum, and CRM Association of Atlanta.

Six Sigma Overview for Project Managers, Eric Hughes, PMP

This class is for Project Managers who want to know what all the fuss is about when it comes to Six Sigma and how it relates to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). According to the PMI, Project Managers spend 40% of their time dealing with senior managers and stakeholders on such matters as: Data gathering and analysis, problem solving, understanding and evaluating existing processes, developing and tracking measurements in a standardized manner, and making quantitative evaluations.

Six Sigma provides tools and techniques to help Project Managers be successful in all the above challenges. This is accomplished by understanding what the Six Sigma methodology is, how it is applied, and how it is used in a typical project management situation.

Course Objectives :

At the end of this course, class participants should be able to understand:
• what Six Sigma is,
• where Six Sigma came from,
• what the key elements of Six Sigma are,
• what the Six Sigma Methodology is, and
• what tools Six Sigma uses.

Biography:

A graduate of West Point, Eric Hughes enjoyed a 20-year career as an officer in the U.S. Army. He held progressively demanding assignments in Systems Analysis and Personnel Management throughout the United States and Europe.

After his military career, Eric joined Byers Engineering Company in 1998 as a Business Process Manager and was responsible for promoting project management principles and standards throughout the company. As a Director for operations and planning his responsibilities included oversight of program management throughout the data services and software development organizations. He developed a quality control process based on the American National Standards for Sampling Attributes and was responsible for the overall Quality Assurance Compliance Audit Program.

Eric currently works with local companies as a private consultant to develop project management and process improvement capabilities. He is also an Adjunct Professor in Shorter College’s School of Business.

Eric has an advanced degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Penn State. He has his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) and his Six Sigma Black Belt certification from Georgia Tech College of Management.

Managing Project Risk - Manny Rodriguez, PMP, C.P.M

Biography:

Teaching over 4,000 students, maintaining an overall satisfactory rating greater than 90 percent
Negotiating, formulating and managing contracts with extraordinary requirements, capital budget purchases and system enhancements

Supplier Management Principles for Project Managers - Manny Rodriguez, PMP, C.P.M

Understanding supplier management is a key factor in achieving effective results in projects. This course will teach the participants the basics of planning, forming, negotiating and managing contracts. You will learn the rules taht govern commercial transactions and how to structure the relationship with suppliers in order to achieve desired results. Further, we will examine the contracting process in terms of make or buy decisions, the solicitation process, the evaluation, supplier selection and contract administration.

Biography:

Teaching over 4,000 students, maintaining an overall satisfactory rating greater than 90 percent
Negotiating, formulating and managing contracts with extraordinary requirements, capital budget purchases and system enhancements

MS Project Advanced Topics – Chuck Magee, PMP

The advanced Microsoft Project class will cover the most challenging of topics often faced by experienced project managers using this tool. More specifically we will go inside Microsoft Project. We will:

• discover new ways to more quickly build effective and complex project schedules;
• learn advanced tips & techniques;
• see how to dynamically level multiple resources;
• find new ways to manage multiple projects with Master Projects; and
• leverage the advanced reporting /analysis methods integrated with other Office products such as InfoPath, SharePoint, Integrated Excel spreadsheets, etc.
This class is for advanced users who want to “make this tool work for you vs. you working for the tool.”

Biography

Chuck Magee is the Managing Principle of Technology Project Mentoring Group http://www.techpmg.com. He is a senior Project Manager with extensive experience in business development, program management, and services delivery focused on software implementations and technology consulting. He is also a recognized expert in Enterprise Project Management, partner based solution sales/delivery, and multi-industry management consulting. Mr. Magee’s previous business experiences include consulting for Microsoft Business Solutions, Manager and Executive Consultant for IBM Global Services and a manager at KPMG consulting.

Mr. Magee’s education includes an MBA from Georgia State University, a BS in Electrical Engineering from Ohio State University and Graduate level courses in Computer Science from the University of Kentucky. He was awarded One Divisional Team Sales designation, three IBM “Top Gun” Achievement awards and one IBM Innovation award. In July 2000 he spoke at the Manugustics User’s Conference on “Supply Chain Planning and eBusiness Solutions.”

Additionally, Mr. Magee is a Six Sigma Green Belt, PMP® by PMI, Production & Inventory Mgmt by APICS (CPIM), Manufacturing Technologist by SME, Information Technology Specialist by IBM. He is also the Director of Programs for Microsoft Project User’s Group, a member of the Project Mgmt Institute (PMI) and APICS, has been listed in the “Who’s Who” National Registry, and serves on the Council of Logistics Mgmt.

Understanding the Secrets of MS Project – Lisa A. Grant, MBA, PMP

Whether you've been using MS Project for years, you are just beginning or simply need a brushup, you'll walk away from this class with a valuable tidbit or two. Students follow along with the instructor as she builds a sample schedule from the bottom up. Several times students have remarked, "I've been using Project for years and just realized I've been doing it all wrong." The class focus is on building a dynamic schedule and using the powerful scheduling engine of MS Project. The instructor walks through the "secret formula" and demonstrates the changes to the schedule as the task types are changed and the 3 variables of the formula are recalculated. This is where schedules often go awry and seem to take on a life of their own.

This class is for people who are actively using MS Project, and would like to understand the tool better. It is for the beginner to intermediate user and will be taught on MS Office Project 2003 not 2007. Some aspects will seem like basic review, however, it's impossible to teach bottom up schedule development without covering a few things people may already know.

Students will receive a hardcopy of the presentation as class materials.

PM best practices for building dynamic project schedules are also incorporated.

Requirements:

A laptop with at least MS Project 2003 is required for this class. Each participant is expected to bring his or her laptop and power cord to the class.

“I have been to a few classes over the years on MS Project and my use, again, over the years --- until recently --- has been somewhat sporadic. I thought this class was very well presented and a lot of things clicked for me this time to really help me understand how Project actually works and how to best use it to your advantage. No one before in any class I have taken took the approach that Lisa did to really get across how Project functions.

I believe it is good to have some experience under your belt, to have struggled with getting it to work and setting up and managing workplans. Lisa was a very good instructor, she obviously understood all that she was teaching from an actual use standpoint and not just an academic one. It was well worth the day spent going through the class. “

Biography:

Lisa A. Grant, MBA, PMP

Financial Concepts for Project Managers- Manny Rodriguez, PMP, C.P.M

This course is a must for project managers. It focuses on the critical importance of understanding financial management concepts for the individual success of projects whether they are internal to the corporation or external to the client. In addition, it will enable the participant to fulfill the financial responsibilities of the job and will provide the knowledge and tools to successfully assume the financial responsibilities of the project management environment. This course is designed to provide a fundamental understanding of corporate financial management, and reinforce project cost management and communications as learned in other project management courses.

Biography:

Teaching over 4,000 students, maintaining an overall satisfactory rating greater than 90 percent
Negotiating, formulating and managing contracts with extraordinary requirements, capital budget purchases and system enhancements

Leveraging Microsoft SharePoint and Project Server 2007 for Project Management - Laurie Bacopoulos, PMP

Is your project team virtual, or for that matter in different departments? Do you have a centralized place to share project information? Are team members and stakeholders notified when new project information is available? Finally, when your project was complete, did you send a survey to understand your success rate?

Learn how Microsoft SharePoint and Project Server 2007 can provide a solid business management solution for your organization. Leverage technology to drive your project management process through standardized templates, collaborate with team members, manage tasks, issues and more importantly communicate status to the project team.

In this class, you will be understand the capabilities of each application, be familiar with the difference between 2003 and 2007, finally understand the benefits of the two applications for the organization at an enterprise level and more importantly how to leverage it for Project Management. You see how to configure a Project Management site and collaborate with team members using the above mentioned features.

Biography:

As president and founder of Cobblestone Consulting, Inc., Laurie Bacopoulos understands strategic objectives and implements solid business solutions, driven by state of the art technology. Over the last several years, Laurie has generated a successful track record working with small, mid-sized, and large companies alike.

With a Bachelor degree in Economics and French, coupled with a Masters in Information Systems Management and Project Management, she is bi-lingual in the languages of both business and technology. Laurie's ability to match cutting edge technology solutions with business goals, in effect creates a unique foundation to achieving results. Among the companies who have benefited from Laurie's brand of consulting are Genuine Parts Company, NAPA, SunTrust, Alventive, Norrell Corporation, and UPS.

Her portfolio of technology-centric consulting experience includes implementing enterprise-wide Intranets and Portfolio Management systems to transform organizations toward new processes and improved information system management for businesses.

Cobblestone Consulting, Inc. is a Microsoft Partner and helps organizations leverage SharePoint to gain visibility, insight and improve internal management and communications.