Taking advantage of AgilePM

Those working in project-focused environments can often find it difficult to manage the myriad issues that crop up day to day.

Whether it's budget overruns, staffing issues or perhaps problems with clients, these project workers need to be able to respond appropriately. While it may sound like expensive education is the only option, the answer could be as simple as a four day Agile Project Management (AgilePM) course.

Anyone considering this framework should firstly take a look at what is, what it can offer and how to get started.

What is AgilePM?

This is a certification aimed primarily at those working in project-focused environments. It's designed to offer a leaner, more structured approach that means it's easier to respond to changes – a given on any large project.

Fast and effective change is really the core of Agile project management – this differs from traditional methodologies that require a thorough understanding of the reasons for change before it's enabled. On a real project with many moving parts, slowing down could cause a number of delays.

The benefits of the course

The AgilePM course, available from ALC Training, is quite comprehensive, and covers a number of areas.

Participants will learn the underpinning philosophy and principles of Agile, the lifecycle of a project, and the products produced during an Agile project, as well as their exact purpose.

AgilePM is a great way to better manage projects.

AgilePM is a great way to better manage projects.

A substantial amount of content is covered over the course, including:

Who is it good for?

There is no set criteria for the AgilePM course – it's open to anyone involved in project management along with project managers. Basically, it's aimed at those who want to learn how to apply agile approaches, within a project management lifecycle framework.

What's the best way to get started?

Getting started with AgilePM is extremely easy – all that's required is a four day course. These are hosted across many major cities – and don't interfere with usual business operations. Given the short course timeframe, it's easy to take part and learn the necessary skills and approaches.

If you'd like to get started with AgilePM or one of the many other frameworks that deal with IT service management, security and project management, get in touch with ALC Training today.

Gartner expects DevOps to see significant growth

It's often tough to predict future trends, especially in sectors like IT where developments constantly progress. However, Gartner has come forward about a method of development – specifically in regards to software – that could signal big change for enterprises.

This process, called DevOps (Development and Operations) is set to proliferate over the next few years, becoming a mainstream strategy across organisations.

Of course, it's also going to be important that companies use the right IT project management frameworks to ensure the success of the trend.

What is DevOps?

This is a new term that's currently growing in use across the globe, which isn't altogether surprising given the benefits.

It involves developers and operations staff on a project working together, effectively breaking down the traditional 'silos' of older projects. With DevOps, all members of a project are constantly in contact, meaning far more effective collaboration.

What's more, DevOps means both teams are constantly across what's going on in each area, so roadblocks in development that could cause setbacks in operations are identified early. This means they can be caught before snowballing into larger problems.

In a new report, Gartner explained that it's currently a relatively niche trend – but this will change over the next few years. 

Expansion of DevOps

DevOps will soon become a mainstream strategy, according to Gartner, one that's utilised by 25 per cent of global 2,000 organisations.

As early as next year DevOps could become something that's utilised by a significant number of companies.

Next year could see strong DevOps growth.

Next year could see strong DevOps growth.

"In response to the rapid change in business today, DevOps can help organisations that are pushing to implement a bimodal strategy to support their digitalisation efforts," explained Gartner research director Laurie Wurster.

"Digital business is essentially software, which means that organisations that expect to thrive in a digital environment must have an improved competence in software delivery."

DevOps is the ideal development method, and it's easy to see just how beneficial it can actually be. As there is less room for communication breakdown, projects will commonly proceed far more smoothly.

As noted earlier, frameworks can play a critical role in adopting a new DevOps strategy. Staff will be equipped with the right processes to both put the new method in place and ensure that it constantly delivers business value.

To find out more about both IT frameworks and other methodologies across a range of topic areas, get in touch with ALC Training today or take a look at the list of courses online.

Businesses will need to prepare for IT spending shakeup

Technology is fast changing many businesses across the globe, especially as new hardware and services start to proliferate.

Cloud storage services, increasingly capable smartphones and even wearable technologies will contribute to what research organisation Telsyte calls a "new wave of disruption" this year, specifically in Australia.

These new technologies will bring numerous benefits to companies, but they'll change both traditional IT spending and strategies. In fact, Telsyte noted that over half of all chief information officers (CIO) believe IT spending spending fro the business as a whole will outstrip spending within the IT department.

Essentially, this means that other areas of the company will start to govern IT services directly.

A significant changeup

Rodney Gedda, a senior analyst with the firm, noted that in the past areas such as marketing and finance have had a say in what IT services they utilise, but thanks to on-demand procurement it's easier to take out the services directly – without going through IT.

"Today's operations and marketing managers rely on technology to deliver business outcomes and the CIO is no longer the source of all procurement decisions," Mr Gedda said.

A typical example of such a service is cloud computing, where a third party provider manages the services and supports them around the clock. All that's required from the business end is to simply sign up for the required services.

Cloud services are easily put in place.

Cloud services are easily put in place.

The impact on IT

While it may appear beneficial to have the IT demands of various departments alleviated to some extent, Telsyte noted that central IT still controls around 70 per cent of total spending value. What's more, IT budgets are expected to grow even higher this year, which will in turn require a staffing increase to keep up with demand.

Telsyte explained that cloud computing services, mobility and telephony were all key areas of focus for this year – but bigger changes are on the horizon.

Wearable computers and other consumer technologies will start to impact many organisations, given the undeniable benefits of the new devices.

"Like smartphones before them, wearable computers like augmented reality headsets might have business applications and people will find ways to be productive with them at work."

This year will mean big changes for the IT departments in a number of Australian organisations, and preparation will of course be critical to success. Frameworks such as ITIL can play a significant role, giving staff the right education to utilise IT correctly.

An IT spending shakeup is on the way, and prepared businesses stand the best chance of weathering the changes.

Hiring intentions reach a high point

Many jobseekers within Australia could have more luck finding new positions in the first quarter of this year, according to a recently published report from recruitment firm Hudson.

In the study that detailed the hiring landscape, Australian companies' intention to hire jumped to the highest point in nearly three years, despite "lukewarm economic conditions and weak GDP figures". This is certainly good news for those seeking new positions.

Nationwide expectations

Hiring managers within Australia are currently feeling optimistic about the year ahead – with Hudson noting that a great deal are looking to start ramping up hiring figures in order to grow the business. A substantial net 18.7 per cent of employers plan to increase staffing levels in the first quarter alone.

However, most hiring managers will be seeking out positions that "underpin future growth opportunities". Basically, a shift away from the more traditional reporting and transactional roles. Such a change is likely to continue to over the next few years, with businesses looking for employees capable of bringing significant value to the table.

What professions are experiencing growth?

Of course, hiring sentiments aren't universal – there are a number of sectors in Australia that will see more opportunities than others.

In this first quarter, Hudson explained that the sentiment among Financial Services professionals is currently the strongest across all sectors. A net 36.9 per cent of hiring managers are planning to increase the number of staff in Q1 2015.

"Financial services teams have recognised that the landscape has permanently changed and are driving significant transformation projects," Hudson explained.

"Those professionals with exposure to agile environments are highly sought after as are compliance and risk professionals who can help organisations navigate the plethora of regulatory change on the horizon."

Legal, sales, marketing and communications all tailed behind. Other sectors of note included ICT, HR, office support and technical and engineering.

Jobseekers can also take further action to increase their chances of landing a new job by up-skilling with established frameworks. These cover a range of topics, including IT service management, project management and IT governance.

These methods can help jobseekers find new positions and also deliver useful skills that can be utilised time and again. With the PRINCE2 framework, for example, project management becomes far easier.

Get in touch with the framework experts at ALC Training today, to find out more about what capable courses can do to improve job prospects.

What can cause a data breach?

The term data breach may strike fear into the hearts of business owners and IT personnel, especially those in charge of securing important information.

Trend Micro defines a data breach as: "The exfiltration – the release of data from a system without the knowledge or consent of its owner."

When a data breach occurs, sensitive employee and customer data, payment information, company details and other types of data can be stolen and distributed. It's easy to see just how damaging these events can be – one only has to look at the high-profile breaches that occurred in 2014.

So, it's obviously important to put the right security measures in place and conduct IT security training, but how do these breaches occur in the first place?

Cyberattacks

This is likely what most people will think of when they think of a data breach, as they commonly make headlines. Such attacks usually stem from malicious third parties that are either seeking to steal information for personnel financial gain, or perhaps on behalf of another group.

The truth is, cyberattacks aren't the biggest cause of data breaches and are also one of the easier 'threat vectors' to protect against.

Unwitting employees

This is what's also known as an internal breach, when the business itself is responsible for the information leak. Most commonly, unwitting staff are responsible. The breach could stem from an employee who doesn't understand a particular system, or perhaps a lost device.

For example, a staff member could leave an unlocked smart phone, tablet or laptop in a public place, which subsequently makes it easy for an attacker to to steal information.

Revenge attacks

The final cause is a revenge attack – carried out by a disgruntled employee, or perhaps someone who has recently been let go but not had security access revoked. It's all too easy for a person who has left the company in such a way to feel a need to exact revenge on the business.

While these people may not be after financial information or attacking for personal gain, they can do far more damage simply by attacking for the sake of it.

Data breaches are only likely to become more dangerous over the next few years, as businesses continually invest in technological endeavours. New online platforms and services are all ripe targets for businesses.

Improving organisational workplace wellness

The health of employees should be one of the top priorities for every business leader and manager, as happy and healthy staff members can mean big changes for the workplace.

This article will take a look at what workplace wellness is, and what businesses of all sizes and industries can do to improve it.

Defining wellness programs

Workplace wellness is essentially a policy that the business creates that supports healthy behaviour and activities, with the aim of improving the wellbeing of employees.

These could be free health checks held on a regular basis, or possibly free flu vaccinations during the appropriate season. In addition, wellness programs might involve fitness activities designed to motivate staff to stay healthy.

What are some of the benefits?

Aside from the obvious health benefits for employees, there are a number of other improvements for the company. For example:

Engagement: As staff have access to auxiliary programs that promote healthy living, they're far more likely to remain engaged employees. That is, workers who are more invested in their jobs and the company.

A focus here, for example, could prove useful in preventing an IT security event, as the staff will be more switched on and ready to respond.

Engaged employees could prevent an IT security event.

Engaged employees could prevent an IT security event.

Positive culture: A workplace culture is something that is intangible, but a good one is definitely noticeable. Having activities and programs that promote healthy living can do wonders for creating such an environment.

There are also financial benefits, as the company can reduce health care costs and even see absenteeism rates drop off, given the healthier state of workers.

Prioritising employees

Staff are one of the most valuable assets for a business, especially workers with experience. As such, it's important to think about the usefulness of wellness programs. The happiness and health of staff is often directly tied to their view of the company, and how engaged they are with their work.

The health and wellbeing of workers should start to become a focus of businesses, but it's also a good idea to ensure that the correct management practices are in place. These can help to ensure that workers are always correctly utilised, as well as engaged.

Get in touch with ALC Training today to find out more about people, IT and other capable frameworks. We've got a significant range available, and courses coming up this year across a number of major cities.

Mobile payment security a necessary consideration

Smartphones and tablets are quickly becoming the devices of choice for both consumers and businesses, for everything from general communications to entertainment and shopping.

While the devices undeniably offer significant benefits over traditional computers (improved mobility and information access from anywhere), there are challenges with security. Specifically, when it comes to mobile payment fraud.

This article will take a look at this growing issue, and why businesses need to take action.

A problem that's on a growth path

Mobile payment solutions are an easy way to pay for goods without needing to carry around cards or cash. The benefits for consumers and businesses are obvious – there's no need to provide cards or replace them when they go missing. Removing a reliance on cash also helps to eliminate discrepancies with business accounting.

A new study from Gartner has found that while these solutions are continuing to grow, fraud is a real concern. Vice President and Distinguished Analyst Avivah Litan explained that fraud in the mobile payment sector presents "looming problems with mobile payments".

Mobile payments are starting to take off.

Mobile payments are starting to take off.

"For years, we have been briefed by vendors offering a plethora of innovative and strong user authentication solutions for mobile payments and commerce," she said.

"And for years, we have been asking the vendors touting them how they know their mobile app is being provisioned to a legitimate user rather than a fraudster."

Why it needs to be dealt with

The mobile payment fraud problem is only likely to get worse as the trend gathers steam, and businesses will need to start taking action now.

In fact, Cisco announced that mobile data traffic grew by 69 per cent last year – certainly a reflection of the role mobile devices are starting to play day-to-day. These technologies aren't going anywhere, and every business with mobile payment infrastructure will need to start planning.

This means putting security systems in place for the payment systems and carrying out comprehensive IT security training for staff members. Security software is only part of the solution – employees need to understand the risk factors with mobile payments.

Looking ahead, mobile payments will likely proliferate substantially over the course of 2015, especially with initiatives like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and others being introduced. To avoid the chance of fraud with this burgeoning industry, businesses should take action now.

Why are engaged employees critical to an organisation?

Employee attitude is closely tied to the bottom line of a business, with disengaged workers often having a negative effect on overall operations.

Commonly, disengaged workers are unwilling to go the extra mile to achieve project goals, will not be proactive when working in a team and will take unnecessary sick leave. The opposite is an engaged employee – one who is always committed to the organisation, an inspiration to other workers and highly capable.

Business leaders and those involved in the hiring process need to start thinking about how to attract and create engaged workers, and why exactly they're a necessity.

Understanding the need for engaged workers

Engaged workers can have a profound impact on the organisation, regardless of the sector in which the business operates.

For one, they're going to be enjoying their work far more, which in turn means a lower risk of turnover. This is essential to cut back on hiring expenditures.

In addition, engaged employees won't be at risk of making as many mistakes day-to-day. This is evidenced in a study by Development Dimensions International, which Forbes author Kevin Kruse outlined.

The study found that a Fortune 100 manufacturing company was able to reduce quality errors from 5,658 parts per million to just 52 parts per million simply through use of engaged workers. What's more, another study from the SHRM foundation found that engaged employees were five times less likely to have a safety accident in the workplace than disengaged workers.

It's easy to see the stark difference between engaged and disengaged workers, and why businesses need to start paying attention.

Engaged employees can bring a lot to the table.

Engaged employees can bring a lot to the table.

How can a business create engaged workers?

With the benefits of engaged workers plain to see, how exactly can a business start to create and hire them? It's relatively straightforward.

Go2HR explained that it's important to be clear about what is expected from employees, and subsequently provide them with the tools and materials to achieve these goals. The website also explained that it's important to fill the workplace with more engaged workers.

Engage For Success noted that it's a two way street, with organisations needing to work to engage the employee by creating job satisfaction. The staff member in turn is able to offer what they feel is an appropriate level of engagement for the work they're doing.

Businesses need to start thinking about the importance of engaging workers, whether it's through providing education or more opportunities, and how doing so is likely to ensure a more secure bottom line.

US data breach a valuable lesson for businesses

Data breaches seem to make the news nearly every week, impacting businesses across the globe. Few companies are safe from these breaches, as both small retail stores and even government networks are at risk.

In many cases, data breaches don't occur as a result of a targeted cyberattack, but more often simply negligence when it comes to security. This is exactly what happened to a Texas-based health clinic.

Here, we'll take a look at what went wrong, and what businesses can do to prevent such breaches from occurring.

What happened?

A health clinic based in the massive US state of Texas was recently the subject of a significant data breach, one that impacted around 8,700 individuals, including 6,300 patients. This is according to Statesman.com, which reported on the breach in February of this year.

An employee at the health clinic that maintained the website accidentally created a backup file that contained the data, which was accidently made available on the website. Unauthorised individuals then proceeded to download the file.

"We take the situation very seriously," CEO Rhonda Mundhenk explained to Statesman.com. "What we're focused on now is notifying our patients."

Lack of security is dangerous for businesses.

Lack of security can result in stolen payment information.

Names, phone numbers, birth days, social security numbers and addresses were all exposed on the website for nearly six months – obviously a significant risk for businesses.

SC Magazine reported on the event, explaining that the information was subsequently removed and the website company released. It's a good first step, but it could have been avoided with the right approach.

So how could this breach have been prevented? The answer may not be what most businesses think.

Preventing a breach

This data breach wasn't a result of security system failure, but a breakdown with regards to staff training. Such a breach could still have occurred even if the business was using the most capable and modern security systems.

To prevent this kind of breach from occurring, businesses need to put IT security training practices in place, specifically designed to teach staff best practice.

The number of data breaches that impact businesses aren't likely to slow down any time soon, especially given just how much information is stored on IT networks. This makes them a valuable target for cyberattackers.

Businesses should start considering the best ways to bring staff up to speed with security.

Refurbished smartphones could hold promise for small businesses

Smartphones are expensive pieces of technology, albeit highly necessary for staff in order to stay connected regardless of location.

These are the vital links between employees and a business, allowing access to calling, messaging, email and even more specialised business applications thanks to growth in cloud capabilities.

However, they're also quite expensive, with certain models of smartphone climbing to around $1,000. Obviously, this can present a problem for smaller companies needing to tightly control funds, but also access capable mobile technologies.

Deploying refurbished smartphones

The answer to this problem lies with refurbished smartphones, devices that have already been used and then restored to near-new condition for further use. Given the current level of advancement when it comes to these devices, there's little difference between new and slightly older versions.

For example, while there were substantial performance jumps between versions in past years, now there are usually only minor hardware improvements to camera and screen technology – not exactly necessities for businesses.

In a new report from Gartner, the research organisation noted that the global market for refurbished phones sold to end users will grow to 120 million units by 2017. This is a substantial jump from the 56 million units in 2014.

Gartner explained that users are attracted to high-end devices that would have been unaffordable when new, but thanks to refurbishment see dramatic price cuts.

While consumers are the prime market for refurbished devices, there are also opportunities for small businesses.

As these companies usually have extremely tight control over finances, the ability to cut back when it comes such a significant expense is important.

However, it should also be noted that businesses need to implement such technologies with an appropriate degree of caution. This means using proven frameworks to ensure the devices meet the security standards of the business. 

Rising data​ breach numbers paint a troubling picture

IT systems are extremely important for businesses around the world, as they're necessary for everything from human resources management to enabling workers to access files on the go. There's really no area of modern business that technology doesn't impact in some way.

This dependance on IT isn't without risk, however, as a new report on 2014 data breaches has shown. Cyberattackers are going after sensitive information held by companies – something that needs to be addressed.

Breaches on the rise

Cybercriminals managed to compromise over one billion data records last year, totaling over 1,500 breaches, according to the new report from Gemalto. This represents a massive 49 per cent increase in breaches, and a 78 per cent increase in the number of records stolen.

This means information such as customer records, employee data and other important information relevant to the business. Once stolen, there's really no telling what a third party will do with the stolen data.

Gemalto sought to shed light on the massive number of breaches, covering regions across the globe. It's interesting to note the areas that were hit particularly hard.

These statistics point to North America as a region that needs to start paying attention to cybersecurity, but breach rates are high in countries across the globe.

The dangers of identity theft

There's one possible danger that could become a significant problem over the next few years – identity theft.

Tsion Gonen, the Gemalto vice president of strategy for identity and data protection, explained to Computer Weekly that there is currently a "clear shift in the tactics" of cyber criminals – with a trend toward long-term identity theft.

"Identity theft could lead to the opening of new fraudulent credit accounts, creating false identities for criminal enterprises, or a host of other serious crimes," he said.

"As data breaches become more personal, we're starting to see that the universe of risk exposure for the average person is expanding."

Breaches on a smaller scale

Last year will not simply be remembered for the high-profile breaches in larger companies, with Gemalto noting many smaller incidents.

"In addition to several high-profile hack attacks, the year included a number of lesser-known incidents that nevertheless resulted in significant theft of records, according to a comprehensive analysis of security breaches," the report noted.

Such striking figures should serve as a warning for businesses; it's now time to start instituting stronger security practices.

This means security systems on both computers, servers and mobile devices, as well as training for staff in best practices.

Employees should understand the threat of data breaches, where they originate and the potential issues that can arise if precautions aren't taken.

On the other hand, security frameworks also need to become a top priority. These are proven methods that a business can use to train staff in security best practices – necessary with the danger of breaches.

Certain frameworks can even be used to develop strong security architectures, which are necessary to protect businesses.

Data breaches are likely to continue expanding this year, and businesses need to ensure that security is no longer a background consideration. Moving security to the top of the priority list will make it easier to handle cyberattacks and lower the chance of a breach occurring.

Given the importance of IT systems, businesses certainly cannot afford to leave security up to chance.

A breakdown of Agile

As a business grows, it’s a certainty that the scale of projects will expand in turn. In many cases this can lead to complexity that’s difficult to manage.

It is something that needs to be addressed, and for most companies it’s a good idea to do so before problems start to occur. Project management tools like Agile are the answer – but first it’s a good idea to understand what they are and how they work.

What is a project management tool?

These are basically policies that have been developed as sets of ‘best practice’ guidelines for companies. They can cover many areas, such as IT security, governance, and of course project management.

Agile differs slightly, as it’s a term that encompasses a number of different approaches. It offers a lean approach that cannot be ignored – especially for businesses looking for a simple but capable project management method.

It’s important to note that Agile is quite different from a more traditional framework like PRINCE2, and can actually be used as a sort of follow-on course. This means that participants aren’t restricted to a single framework/tool.

What is Agile?

Under the Agile banner are a number of project management approaches including Scrum, XP and Crystal – all of which are grouped below what’s called the ‘Agile Alliance’ formed in 2001. Now, Agile encompasses a number of other approaches which have been added since then.

When a project is controlled using the Agile processes, it means delivering business value early. Key values of Agile include:

These are obviously useful values for those managing a project, but it’s also easy to see how they extend into other areas of business. Certainly, adhering to budgets and meeting deadlines are useful in all areas of a company.

Starting off with Scrum

As noted above, Agile covers a number of different approaches. Scrum is one of the best to get started with, as it is both flexible and simple. This is key when delving into a new project management tool.

Scrum prioritises empirical feedback, short iterations and team self-management – all-important for project management.

What you’ll learn

An Agile project management course offers significant value for participants, especially given the breadth of knowledge that’s covered.

Upon completion, they will have an understanding of the key principles of Agile, along with the lifecycle of an Agile project. This part of the course also details alternative configurations – something that’s extremely useful if the project needs to be adapted.

Other key learning objectives include the roles and responsibilities for those within an Agile project, the techniques used along with their benefits and limitations.

What if I’ve already got project management training?

Many business leaders and individuals are likely to have already started or completed some form of project management training, commonly with a capable framework like PRINCE2. Thankfully, there’s no need to start from scratch when using Agile.

PRINCE2 can be thought of as a ‘first step’ on the project management pathway, with Agile acting as the next logical leap forward.

Want to become qualified in the world’s leading framework and certification for Agile Project Management? Sign up to our AgilePM® Foundation / Practitioner Combined course

Getting started

It’s quite straightforward to get started with ALC frameworks and tools, and Agile is no different. Courses are available in cities throughout Australia, hosted on various dates to make attending easy.

Now is the time to start thinking about how exactly these tools can be put to use within a business, especially to avoid the dangers of costly project overruns.

Courses are coming up this year across major Australian cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.