Advanced IT: Strategy, Client/Product/Process Management
Date:
Completed the Advanced IT program at IT-Tuning, focusing on strategy development, client relationship management, product management, and process optimization. This comprehensive course was led by a team of industry experts including Sergiy Povolyashko, Vera Shatskaya, Anastasia Novikova, Elena Lubchak, Sergey Dovgopolyi, and Elena Reshetnyak.
AdvanceIT is a joint project of two Kharkiv educational institutions specializing in IT management - IT-Tuning & PM School.
The AdvanceIT course aims to elevate client relationships and business orientation to a significantly new, advanced level. It can be characterized as Client and Business oriented. For this, we have selected a unique combination of materials and trainers. We help participants expand their knowledge and skills in areas related to the provision of IT services.
The following areas are covered
- Proper project initiation with motivating contractual support
- Economics and finance for both projects and companies
- Product lifecycle management
- Using metrics beneficially for business
- Soft skills for solving complex client issues, including the client’s perspective
- Business expansion through additional sales
- And much more
The course is highly practical, with all trainers having many years of experience in their fields as well as in training activities. The program’s foundation is the acquisition of practical skills and the development of relevant soft skills.
The program covered
- IT strategy development and implementation
- Client relationship management and communication
- Product vision, roadmap, and lifecycle management
- Process optimization and efficiency improvement
- Team leadership and management in IT contexts
- Resource allocation and prioritization
- Performance metrics and KPI development
- Agile and traditional project management methodologies
- Risk management and mitigation strategies
Course Program
| Date and Time | Topic | Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| 10.05.16 09:00 - 12:00 | Rational Project Initiation. Pre-Contract Stage Basic Definitions Composition of the Pre-Contract Stage What to Ask the Client Defining the Approach to Project Execution and Development Team Composition Selection Where to Record and How to Agree: What We Do, How We Do It, Who Will Manage What Familiarization with Contract Documentation Project Initiation Process |
Sergiy Povolyashko |
| 12.05.16 09:00 - 12:00 | Managing Expectations and Communications Identification and Analysis of Project Stakeholders Communication Formats Managing Expectations Communication Plan Getting Feedback from Stakeholders Effective Communication Skills Benefits of Visibility: Project and Personal |
Sergiy Povolyashko |
| 17.05.16 09:00 - 12:00 | Types of Contracts. Features, Applicability, Selection Contracts: Applicability, Cases Fixed Price Cost Reimbursable (T&M, DDC) Project and Process Management with Fixed Price Typical Problems, Their Causes and Solutions Requirements Management Risk and Issue Management Change Management Budgeting Contract Features Most Important Contract Terms Important Contract Appendices Incentive Contracts Types of Contracts and Agile |
Sergiy Povolyashko |
| 21.05.16 09:00 - 17:00 | Requirements Management: From Idea to Working Product How Vision is Created Based on a Specific Idea What is User Journey and User Persona Using Story Mapping Technique to Create a Product Map Prioritizing the Most Important Features and Defining the Scope of Our MVP (Minimum Viable Product) Touching on User Story and Acceptance Criteria as a Form of Task Setting for the Team |
Alena Lubchak (Prykhnych) |
| 24.05.16 09:00 - 12:00 | Budgeting for Managers Why Companies Need Budgeting. Budgeting Logic Types of Costs. How to Account for Costs of Different Categories of Employees Revenue Forecasting. Income and Expense Budget Cash Flow Budget Main Budget Traps: How to Avoid Them Differences in Reporting to the Client (What We Show the Client) vs. Budget Control (What is Important for Company Management) Duplications Across Different Financial Responsibility Centers |
Elena Reshetnyak |
| 26.05.16 09:00 - 12:00 | Business/Company Economics The Role of the Manager in Ensuring Business Results Types of Resources Used in Business Cost and Cost Structure Fixed and Variable Costs Revenue, Marginal Income, and Profit Impact of Managerial Decisions on the Company’s Financial Results Business and Financial Management Goals Measuring Managerial Performance Target Indicator System as a “Dashboard” for the Manager What Financial Statements Tell Us Balance Sheet P&L: Gross Profit, EBIT, EBITDA ROA, ROE, PM (Profit Margin) |
Elena Reshetnyak |
| 04.06.16 09:00 - 17:00 | Entrepreneurship in IT Idea Validation Team Building Networking Marketing and Sales Scaling and Expansion Attracting Investments |
Sergey Dovgopolyi |
| 07.06.16 09:00 - 12:00 | Outsourced Interactions from a Prospect’s / Client’s Perspective Stranger vs. Prospect vs. Client vs. Friend Psychology Business Relations in the Range of Human Relations Where Does it Naturally Start? Where Can it Naturally Go? Why Do People Act the Way They Do? Confirming Next Steps (No Black Hole Communications) Common Daily Examples Service-Oriented vs. Solutions-Oriented Communications “Yes we can do that” vs. “Here are some options” Simplified Balanced Scorecard (Basic Account Management Communications) The Case of Ryan Blood |
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| xx.xx.16 09:00 - 12:00 | Process: Necessity, Description, Implementation Understanding the Need for a Process Process Composition and Outcome Description Format Authors and Approval Process Implementation Control Process Improvements |
Sergiy Povolyashko |
| xx.xx.16 09:00 - 12:00 | Metrics: Activity Measurement, Business Linkage Basic Concepts of Metrics and Why Measure Anything Structure of Indicators (Measurement, Metric, Key Performance Indicator — KPI) Concept of Metric Registry Areas of Metric Applicability Work Quality Project Performance, Evaluation, and Forecasting Predicting Project Timelines, Quality, and Other Characteristics Selection of Metrics and Their Linkage to Business |
Sergiy Povolyashko |
| xx.xx.16 09:00 - 15:00 | Scaling in Agile What Frameworks Exist for Scaling in Agile? We Will Consider One of the Frameworks - SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) Practically Plan a Release According to SAFe Recommendations Discuss the Advantages and Disadvantages of SAFe |
Alena Lubchak (Prykhnych) |
| xx.xx.16 09:00 - 17:00 | Client-Oriented Approach Features of Client Orientation The Importance of Client Orientation for Modern IT Business. Client Orientation as a Value. Key Laws That Cannot Be Violated Features of Managing Client Expectations. Satisfying and Anticipating Needs What the Client Wants During Communication and Work. Main Emotional Needs of Clients What It Means to Create a Partnership Relationship with the Client Competent Communication as an Opportunity to Manage Client Relationships and Achieve the Desired Result Client-Oriented Approach in Communication Managing Client Expectations. Defining Goals, Finding Common Interests, Identifying Disagreements Communication Techniques Leading to Better Understanding: Competent Questions, Active Listening Objection Handling Techniques. How to Direct the Dialogue in a Constructive Direction, Understand the Client’s Position, and Try to Find a Mutually Beneficial Solution Using the Most Effective Argumentation Methods to Defend Your Position and Persuade the Interlocutor Polite Refusal Technique. How to Renegotiate with the Client Features of Communication by Phone and Skype. Basic Rules and Taboos (Information Will Be in Self-Study Materials) Examples of “Good Tone” in Oral and Written (E-mail) Communication (Information Will Be in Self-Study Materials) |
Vera Shatskaya |
| xx.xx.16 09:00 - 17:00 | Change Management Changes and Leadership The Impact of Changes on Business, Teams, and Each Employee The Role of the Leader Today in the Context of Constant Changes. Changing the Leadership Paradigm from Individual to Team Changes in Management Functions. The Importance of Managing Teams and People to Achieve Results Managing the Process of Implementing Changes Leader’s Tasks at Different Stages of Change Implementation How to Start Implementing Changes Correctly. Key Recommendations for the Leader The Importance of Proper Information During Changes: Algorithm for Effective Change Communication Interaction and Communication Between the Leader and the Team During Change Implementation Ways to Increase Team Engagement in the Change Implementation Process Dealing with Resistance During Changes Resistance to Change as a Natural Process Stages of Employee Response to Changes Colleague Reactions to Changes and Working with Them to Increase the Effectiveness of the Change Implementation Process What the Leader Should Do to Overcome Resistance and Accelerate the Team’s Transition to the “Acceptance of Changes” Stage |
Vera Shatskaya |
| xx.xx.16 09:00 - 12:00 | Sales to Existing Clients During Ongoing Projects and Services Choosing the Right Moment to Sell an Additional Service or Present Other Company Services Who Should Make the Presentation and Sale? The Difference Between Cross-Sell and Up-Sell How to Offer an Up-Sell to the Client and Justify Its Necessity What to Do If the Client Refuses Working with the Client Product Base - Up-Sell/Cross-Sell What Can Be Sold Additionally in Products and Services? When to Make the Offer? How to Automate These Actions? Homework. Preparing Up-Sell and Cross-Sell Options for a Service or Product Based on Cases and Audience |
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