10 Best Scrum Tools To Increase Your Teams Productivity

Why do we need Scrum tools? 

Well, we are familiar with the concept of Agile and Scrum. We also know how going agile is being a huge help for a lot of organizations. Those who are still confused between Agile and Scrum, let us start by briefing them out about Scrum once again.

Scrum is an agile framework for developing, delivering, and sustaining complex products, with an initial emphasis on software development, although it has been used in other fields including research, sales, marketing, and advanced technologies. It is designed for teams of ten or fewer members, who break their work into goals that can be completed within timeboxed iterations, called sprints, no longer than one month, and most commonly two weeks. The Scrum Team tracks progress in 15-minute time-boxed daily meetings, called daily scrums. At the end of the sprint, the team holds a sprint review, to demonstrate the work done, and sprint retrospective to continuously improve. 

But the question remains intact, why the scrum software and agile tools are needed? 

Although Scrum originated from the software development sector, it is not just limited to that. From marketing agencies to construction businesses, the Scrum framework can be used anywhere. Here are 10 best Scrum Software that can help you to realize Scrum software integration is really necessary!

1. Monday.com:

The tagline of Monday.com says, “Become a scrum master with Monday.com”. And it is true indeed. Monday.com has vigorous time tracking abilities and customizable notifications and automation. It enables you to focus on necessities. It also helps you in creating, visualizing, and sharing your roadmap to keep everyone in sync.

Some special features of Monday.com are:

In monday.com backlogs are easy to create and use. They can be filtered or sorted according to any column you choose. 

Through different columns, monday.com helps teams to plan their sprints in a full proof customizable interface that helps workflow creation fit the team’s needs. 

monday.com offers multiple views through which you can create burndown charts and analyze your work, such as kanban, timeline, files, among many others.

monday.com allows integration with project management apps like Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Jira, GitHub, Trello, Dropbox, Typeform, and many more like that.

2. ProjectManeger.com:

This one is not exactly a scrum tool. But it is an award-winning Project Management tool used by giant organizations like Nasa, Volvo, Ralph Lauren, and many more. Why you may ask? Because it hs some really useful features that can help in implementing the Scrum methodologies. Let’s see what these features are.

◉ There are Kanban boards with real-time dashboards in ProjectManager.com that help you in visualizing your work, as well as effortlessly switching between various tasks and project views to help visualize work. 

◉ The notifications of ProjectManager.com are pretty basic but fruitful. You can apply automated alerts to stay on top of pending tasks.

◉ ProjectManager.com integrations involve native integrations with GoogleApps such as Drive, Gmail, Calendar, etc. as well as Microsoft Office and Microsoft Project. For all other integrations, you  Zapier can be used to sync ProjectManager.com with other tools.

◉ Purchasing  ProjectManager.com is pretty cost-effective too,  as its pricing starts at $15/user/month, along with a 30-day free trial.

3. Jira:

You've likely known about Jira—it's presumably the most broadly utilized cloud and membership-based scrum software used by Agile teams. Since it's so mainstream, huge numbers of the other project management applications can be integrated with Jira. This agile tool has pretty much everything, except we do locate that different tools like Targetprocess offer more noteworthy degrees of customization, particularly in building custom reports and dashboard representations. But Jira has its own pros. It's a balanced, comfortable tool with sensible valuing plans for little groups, moderate-sized groups, and endeavor. Jira includes the following features:

◉ Jira delivers a maintained and balanced string of scrum project management tools along with customizable scrum and kanban boards, custom filters for backlog grooming, customizable workflows, and dozens of visual reports (burndown, cumulative flow, velocity, etc).

◉ Jira integrates with over 3000 other apps, has a strong set of APIs, and is available on all mobile devices.

◉ Jira subscription starts from $10/month for up to 10 users. On top of that, it is the only scrum software that has a free license offering for qualifying charitable organizations, educational settings, and open source initiatives.

4. Targetprocess:

For nearly 15 years, Targetprocess has been rolling the dices and influencing a central platform to support various applications of agile frameworks. As it is created to fit numerous use cases and project management types, it’s definitely a good choice for agile organizations with different portfolios who can get benefitted from being able to adapt their software instead of having to switch or mess around with using multiple platforms. It’s also a pretty wise choice for small projects that are projected to scale quickly.

◉ Targetprocess is a scrum tool that is rich in features and offers high degrees of customization, from customizable views to custom cards, graphical reports, and report templates.

◉ Targetprocess is built to integrate through plugins, mashups, webhooks, REST API, and SDK making it refreshingly versatile and practical for teams who need to sync multiple tools. 

◉ It is also available for Android and IOS.

◉ The subscription of Targetprocess starts with a free Team version for unlimited users. The Company version costs from $20/user/month.

5. ClickUp:

ClickUp strikes an impressive balance between high performance and practicality offering a wide range of training resources. Overall, ClickUp is simply one of the best scrum tools out there—not only is it focused on being easy to learn, integrate, and customize, it’s also a forward-looking application that incorporates leading-edge technology like NLP and ML.

◉ ClickUp has broader functionality than many other scrum apps, offering high value for the straightforward price of $5/user/month.

◉ The tool includes Gantt charts, project templates, time tracking, and scheduling, in addition to all of the scrum essentials.

◉ ClickUp also makes use of AI: the tool applies natural language processing (NLP) to interpret dates and times so users don’t have to concern themselves with exact formatting. 

◉ ClickUp has 1000+ integrations and imports the existing data from CSV files or apps like Airtable, Asana, Trello Jira, todoist, Flow, and 50+ more platforms.

◉ ClickUp costs $5/user/month. They also have a free version that’s quite generous, with unlimited users and unlimited projects.

6. MeisterTask:

MeisterTask is a simple, beautiful task management tool for agile teams. The web-based platform provides flexible Kanban boards to manage your backlogs and sprints. This is a great tool for companies who are just starting out with the Scrum methodology, but thanks to its built-in automation and a large number of integrations with other tools, it easily scales with your needs. Some basic features of MeisterTask include:

◉ Using MeisterTask’s Kanban-based boards, you can create backlogs, sprints, and manage tasks collaboratively with your team.

◉ You can use tags to prioritize tasks and visualize dependencies using task relationships. Real-time notifications keep both the project team and the product owner up to date about project progress, while detailed statistics and reports provide insight into the team’s performance. 

◉ A personalized dashboard ensures that you see at a glance what you need to focus on today and keep track of all tasks relevant to you.

◉ While MeisterTask was originally built for agile software teams, it’s simple and versatile boards can easily be used by all departments in your organization, which is great if you’re looking to get all team members onto the same platform and improve cross-departmental collaboration. 

◉ MeisterTask integrates with the mind mapping app MindMeister where you can brainstorm and plan with a mind map and then export it onto a Kanban board.

◉ MeisterTask costs from $8.25/user/month. They also offer a free plan with limited functionality.

7. Vivify Scrum:

Vivify Scrum is a well-balanced tool with useful scrum features and an appealing UI. This cloud-based app offers a clean, clutter-free interface that can display all projects on a single page. Many scrum tools claim to make project management seamless, but Vivify’s intuitive flow and quick navigation actually deliver that seamless feeling. And at $8/user/month, it offers a wider array of business functions than you’d expect, including invoicing and a files management package. This is a low-risk tool for large organizations to try out, as it’s free for an unlimited number of users, limited only in functionality. If detailed and highly configurable reporting and stats are critical for you, however, there are better tools out there.

8. Axosoft:

While some tools like Scrumwise (above) focus on distilling the complexities of an agile project environment within a simplified interface, Axosoft’s approach is to simply embrace complexity. This scrum tool gives structure and organization to the many components of scrum project management, providing an information-rich display of relevant scrum project data. Some tools give you about as much granular control as a carnival bumper car—Axosoft is more like a pilot’s cockpit (granted, a user-friendly one).

◉ One feature that makes this tool especially useful is their release planner, which allow users to view capacity at the sprint, team, and team member level.

◉ It also offers a helpful ranking tool for prioritizing tasks, a tool for building custom workflows, and a “Daily Scrum Mode” for zooming into the day’s progress, identifying obstacles, and giving updates.

◉ Of course, it also has your scrum software fundamentals like drag-and-drop boards, Kanban-style cards, burndown charts, flow charts, etc.

◉ Axosoft has a growing list of dozens of integrations (including Zapier, GitHub, Salesforce, Slack, Trello, GitLab, Bitbucket, and many more) and offers a mobile app as well.

9. Scrumwise:

Scrumwise has been around since 2009, and has built out a very intuitive, user-friendly Scrum master tool over the past decade. It’s dedicated its attention to being a simple, superb agile project management software. Because of this, Scrumwise is a good choice for teams who want a focused scrum tool without having to dig through (or pay for) additional project/business management features.

◉ Scrumwise offers a full set of features for the task, time, backlog, and sprint management

◉ The tool has a simple interface with drag-and-drop kanban boards and easy-to-digest visualizations in their burndown charts.

◉ This tool has a selective approach to features and attempts to get rid of complexities, making it a good choice for small- to mid-size teams who don’t need anything too robust. Even the pricing of this tool is simple, offering a single, full version at $7.50/month/user.

◉ You can export all your data for easy ad-hoc analysis and reporting (simple copy and paste, exporting to CSV or XML files), and the API enables one- and two-way syncs with other tools. Although this scrum app has minimal out-of-the-box integration with other platforms, it does run on both IOS and Android phones.

10. Quickscrum:

This scrum app isn’t about the features—it’s about people, how they use the app, and how their use of scrum fits into the organization at large. The training and education offerings are really the biggest value that Quickscrum provides. They claim to have the largest scrum community, spanning a worldwide network of coaches, certified Scrum professionals, developers, product owners, scrum masters, and more. They offer a free membership where people can access resources created by their community, including scrum video tutorials and articles. Additionally, they offer agile transformation, coaching, and training services (for an additional price). For this reason, Quickscrum is a good tool for any team or organization that needs scrum training.

Source: novelvista.com

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Difference between Project Management and Business Management

1. Project Management :

Project Management, as name suggests, is a management that mainly focuses on management of project and oversee single project at a time until it gets completed. 

2. Business Management :

Business Management, as name suggests, is a management that mainly focuses on management of business and oversee all business operation to accomplish business or organization goal. 

Difference between Project Management and Business Management : 

Project Management	Business Management
Its main focus is on management of single projects.	Its main focus is on management difference tasks of business.
It aims at managing and creating plan simply to achieve goal.	It aims at managing and organizing business simply to achieve objectives.
It also manages budget, provide valuable resources, etc.	It also manages and repair workplace equipment’s, etc.
This is a temporary process not permanent and has end date till project gets completed.	This is a continuous process and does not have any end date.
Project management have a start and end date to complete project and accomplish goal. After than, it just stops till next project is assigned.	Business management does not have any end date and goal or objectives might changes.
It also focuses on increasing efficiency and productivity.	It also focuses on developing long-term and personal relationship.
It is a unique process and not-repetitive.	It is not a unique process but repetitive.
It is a complex process and but it has single and clear objective.	It is a simple process and but objective is not clear.
In this management, role of manager and team membership is temporary as it is a temporary process.	In this management, role of manager and team membership is permanent as it is a permanent process.
This management is project oriented as it only focuses on project.	This management is related to product and process.

Source: geeksforgeeks.org

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Difference between Project Management and Operation Management

1. Project Management :

Project Management, as name suggests, is simply management and control of project activities i.e. product innovative and new products, services.

2. Operation Management :

Operation Management, as name suggests, is simple management and control of operations and functions i.e. managing, running, and controlling all operations of organization.

Difference between Project Management and Operation Management:

Project Management	Operation Management
It mainly focuses on management and control of project.	It mainly focuses on management and control of operations.
Project management team have to perform activities like managing projects, streamline works, cost management, etc.	Operation management team have to perform activities like producing products and provide services.
It is a unique task but temporary.	It is a unique task but permanent as it is an on-going process.
Project managers have responsibility of managing starting and closing of project, monitoring different phases of development, etc.	Operations managers have responsibility of delivering services or products for customers in more efficient way.
Focus of project managers changes according to each project requirements and desired results are also unique.	Focus of operations manager does not change, their main focus is to run business operations efficiently and in productive manner.
Project management is quite easy than operation management as responsibilities are less in project management.	Operation management is quite difficult one as responsibilities are more in project management.
Project manager is also responsible for planning, initiating, executing and closing project.	Operation manager is also responsible for making sure that business is running smoothly without any problem to meet goal.
Project management brings change in organization by bringing new products, meet customer demands.	Operation management deliver same product but with new improvements and features as they continuously improve process.

Source: geeksforgeeks.org

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Is Pega Certification Worth Taking?

The Pega credential is the most widely recognized certification for Pega developers, but is it worth it? The Pega certification acknowledges that you have the experience, education, and competency to lead and direct projects. This recognition is often viewed as a means to make a Pega developer more marketable while also providing a higher salary. Still, more critical questions remain unanswered when researching this question.

Are Employers Ready to Pay More for Someone Simply Because They Have A Pega Certification?

According to the Salary Survey, Pega developers in six significant countries reported a $10,000 salary advantage over non-certified. Those who take the extra steps to make their certification display commitment to the Pega career path. Additionally, the Pega certification prepares you and often leads to higher career responsibility, additional opportunities, and career advancement.

There is no question that a Pega certification enhances a resume and will undoubtedly be an advantage when seeking a position as a developer. However, for many job openings, the Pega certification is already expected. Even when not required, employers look at the credential as a preference. The stringent conditions to initially earn the certificate shows your willingness to keep your skills and knowledge up to date through further career advancement and meeting the continuing education requirements.

What Are the Down Sides to Obtaining Your Pega Certification?

Passing the Pega exam does not necessarily mean you are an expert in all facets of Pega development. It means that you have given a test that validates your understanding of the framework of the Pega developer process. It does not necessarily mean that you have managed to succeed, and many equate it with attaining your Bachelor’s degree. You have validated that you have the education but not the skill or ability to perform successfully.

If you are already working as a developer, there is a possibility your company will pay for it. Many organizations see the importance of certifying their developer and reimbursing the cost.

Applying and studying for the Pega exam can be a tedious process. Pega requires applicants to document all Pega developer education and experience attained at the process level. You will have to provide extensive detail on each project, including the number of hours you spent creating a work breakdown structure or executing project tasks. It is tedious work. You must be prepared to demonstrate your experience if your application is audited randomly by Pega.

The study time to pass the Pega varies depending on your developer experience. The Pega developer study guide is the crucial information resource found on the Pega exam, but it is not the only resource. Specific topics such as ethics will be featured but are only glossed over in the study guide.

There are plenty of study guides available to prepare for the Pega exam. Pega preparation courses are also an option but can become costly.

So Is It Worth It?

Earning your Pega is costly and complex and needs a great deal of preparation. Nevertheless, if you are kicking around the idea of pursuing a career path in Pega developer, the Pega certification can assist in opening doors for you. Having the certificate is a quick way to enter new countries, markets, and industries because your basic qualifications, expertise, and competency in Pega developer are validated. However, my advice is to carefully consider why you want your Pega and what the value is for you.

Are you seeking your Pega as a:

• Personal decision to widen knowledge and skills in your respective discipline; or as a
• Condition of your current company, which embraces and values people who proactively further their education in their field.

From my viewpoint, the bottom line is that various companies place more or less value on the certification, and you should not pursue just for salary growth but should view the Pega certification as an investment in your personal development within the Pega developer discipline.

Summary

Pega certification can be fascinating for the aspirants who can achieve their professional goals by doing this certification successfully. However, the advantage of having this certificate are numerous and out weight the money required to pay for the same.

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What the Great Resignation means for the project profession

Almost 1 in 4 workers are planning a job change – an insurgence the media has dubbed ‘The Great Resignation’! Living through the coronavirus pandemic has been an eye-opening experience for people. And so, when it comes to staying in a career they’re unhappy or dissatisfied with, workers are choosing to take action. The view is: life is short and change is appealing.

For some, their job has simply run its course. For others, the lure of new experiences is enticing. In terms of the project profession specifically, research has uncovered that project managers cite various reasons for looking to leave their roles, (and some 37% of those surveyed confessed to having thought about quitting in the last year!) from feeling under-appreciated to being blamed for a project’s failure! Reasons also include job stress, a lack of investment in career development, and that the organisation does not understand or value the project management processes and roles.

The statistics are eye-opening for companies who employ project teams. Project professionals are seeking new ventures, and there is a real threat that they are looking elsewhere. On top of this, there is a shortage of talent in the project profession, meaning replacing and recruiting project professionals could be a struggle. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. As with all threats, there is a great deal of opportunities to come from ‘The Great Resignation’ too. Here is how organisations can respond to the shakeup in the world of work:

Getting competitive

Project managers leaving your business could be an indicator that change is required. Whilst it can be hugely damaging, and even saddening, to lose an employee from your project team, it is essential to address issues before looking to recruit a replacement. Companies must conduct a properly run exit interview with the leaver. An exit interview gives a wealth of insight into the employee experience and is a chance to learn where problems lie so that issues can be addressed.

Perhaps there was a lack of development opportunities? Or maybe you need to offer more flexible working practices in order to compete in the job market and to appeal to a generation of workers who have become accustomed to WFH life over the past two years? People have reprioritised their lives, and the once elusive work/life balance is now attainable. Applicants are seeking roles with a high standard of holistic employee satisfaction, as well as career growth opportunities. Offering just that could give you a competitive edge when it comes to talent acquisition.

Hiring from within

Losing employees is inevitable, but the cost of replacing them still stings. It’s estimated that 122% of the departed employee’s salary is the cost of recruiting their replacement and getting that new recruit up to scratch. And so, a savvy approach – particularly in a sparse job market or one as competitive as project management – can be to hire from within!

Internal hiring will look different for every company but can come in the form of promotion, or sidestepping (that is, filling the role with a manager at the same hierarchical level). Roles such as product managers, business development managers, strategic advisers, change managers, and business analysts will all have transferable skills for the project profession. What’s more, you will benefit from ‘new’ team members who already know and understand your business and its mission. Provide project management training such as a PRINCE2 or PRINCE2 Agile course in order to fill the skills gap and help internal candidates to make the move.

Tapping into current staff for new roles can boost ambition and inspire others as team members see their peers advance. Offering promotions, job variety and investing in staff demonstrates that the company is committed to employee growth and progression.

Focus on retention

Making improvements as a result of exit interviews, and ‘hiring from within’ can both have a profound effect on employee retention. Finding out why project professionals want to leave exposes potential weaknesses in your organisation’s processes and culture, giving you a chance to prevent other team members from following suit. Likewise, internal job changes and promotions can increase employees’ longevity at a company and have a positive impact on morale.

Within the project profession, we must look to keep our best employees as well as work on ways to attract more. Recruitment is costly – both financially and in terms of lost productivity. It can negatively impact the morale of other employees and can be detrimental to client relationships. And so prioritising employee happiness, engagement and motivation are crucial.

Focus on retention and ensuring employees feel valued and invested in. Create opportunities for upskilling, and introduce professional development programmes if you don’t already have them in place. Invest in the perks which really matter to your staff and make improvements that boost job satisfaction. Such moves are critical in order for your company to not fall victim to The Great Resignation.

Source: prince2.com

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Six Sigma and Lean Model of Project Management

In the cooperative world, it has been been most speculated and debated issue and today’s too, that which methodology would be more productive and efficient for organizations. It would we ex-aggregation if I declared that specific one model is more vibrant in comparison to others. Because we can’t undermine capability of any one of them. The methodology that enterprise chooses strictly depends on shape, size, and function or projects they do. And different organizations have their different needs to achieve goals and to full-fill these needs they opt methodology that suited them most.

Here we’ll see differences between both and that may help you to go with best one for your organization.

Lean and Six Sigma has common motive :

Both wants to eliminate waste and increase productivity & efficiency of organizational

operations but methodology to beat goal of both model is distinct (means they identify root cause of problem in different manner).

1. Six Sigma Model :

Six Sigma was developed for a very specific goal to achieve, It includes an special approach to handle the organizational challenges by reduce the variation, risks, waste and defect rates in production processes through the well organized statistical method of analysis. To do this, Six Sigma uses one of two the approaches – either the DMAIC or the DMADV method.

Here DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control while DMADV stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify. DMAIC is mostly used method which we’re explaining here.

DMAIC :

1. Define –

In the first step, you will define problem and how it is disturbing current process.

2. Measure –

During this step, you will measure current data. By examining process that is already in place and identifying what isn’t working you can begin finding ways to make improvements.

3. Analysis –

Now after collecting concerned data, you start analyzing to get to root cause of problem.

4. Improvement –

This is the step where you will come up with possible solutions, test your solutions, and applies which suited best.

5. Control –

Once you have implemented new process you must continue to make improvements over time in searching of most favorable solution. These changes will only last if employees continue to refine and maintain process.

Here, are some certifications of Six Sigma :

1. Black Belt –

Leads problem-solving projects. Trains and coaches project teams.

2. Green Belt –

Assists with data collection and analysis for Black Belt projects. Leads Green Belt projects or teams.

3. Master Black Belt –

Trains and coaches Black Belts and Green Belts. Functions more at Six Sigma program level by developing key metrics and strategic direction. Acts as organization’s Six Sigma technologist and internal consultant.

4. Yellow Belt –

Participates as project team member. Reviews process improvements that support project.

5. White Belt –

Can work on local problem-solving teams that support overall projects, but may not be part of Six Sigma project team. Understands basic Six Sigma concepts from awareness perspective.

Six Sigma is majorly applied in various fields like functional areas, such as engineering, manufacturing, plant operations, planning as well as sales/marketing and customer support service, but it’s not suitable for small enterprises projects or process.

Because many small companies can not afford resources that this model requires. Six Sigma deployed at each and every level within organization, with distinct roles and responsibilities these roles and responsibilities are borne by concerned employees.

2. Lean Model :

Lean method, is completely focused on eliminating waste by eliminating bottlenecks and improving quality of your products providing maximum profit value to customers with lowest possible amount of investment and risks. The term Lean was first coined by Toyota to describe Toyota Business System in 1980’s, business philosophy that helped company run at maximum efficiency. Prime motive of Lean model is Customer satisfaction.

If we use DMAIC method with principle of Lean model then it’ll give more favorable output.

Lean identifies deadly areas of waste that are common in most production systems :

1. Defects –

Products that don’t meet quality standards.

2. Overproduction –

Exceeding demand or producing more than was ordered.

3. Waiting –

Waiting is lag time in between each step in production. When employees are left waiting no value is being added.

4. Non-Utilized Talent –

Ineffectively using or miscalculating human resources.

5. Transportation –

Inefficient shipping methods.

6. Inventory –

Holding on to surplus of product or raw material.

7. Motion –

Unnecessary moving of product, material, or people.

8. Extra Processing –

Doing more work than is needed in very inefficient manner.

Differences between Six Sigma and Lean :

Six Sigma	Lean
Focuses on reducing variation, risks, waste and defects.	Focuses on eliminating waste by eliminating bottlenecks.
Improves quality of products, performance & services.	Improves flow.
Reduce variation at each remaining steps.	Remove non-value added process steps.
Improves Accuracy.	Improves speed of processes.
Customer-centric.	Customer-centric.

Source: geeksforgeeks.org

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Difference between Project Management and Portfolio Management

1. Project Management :

Project Management, as name suggests, is a management skill that involves managing single project from starting to end and makes sure it gets completed successfully on given period of time.

2. Portfolio Management :

Portfolio Management, as name suggests, is a management skill that involves managing all projects within organization so that they can maximize earnings and increase return of investments.

Difference between Project Management and Portfolio Management :

Project Management	Portfolio Management
It mainly focuses on management of particular project.	It mainly focuses on all projects within organization.
It simply manages individual projects and makes sure that it gets completed on given period of time within budget also.	It simply manages investments of individuals so that they can increase their earnings within given period of time.
This management generally focuses various tasks within particular project to achieve desired result or product.	This management generally focuses on high-level view of any activity or task or project of any organization.
It is a temporary process but unique.	It is a ongoing process that has to performed on daily basis.
It does not make a strategic plans and prioritize projects.	It makes strategic plans, prioritize projects, selects important projects that will benefit organization.
It makes unnecessary use of resources for each project that are not even important.	It decreases unnecessary use of resources by prioritizing project that are important.
This management direct a individual project successfully.	This management is about selecting and implementing right projects for organization to fulfill long-term objectives.
Its main goal is to complete single project and provide service.	Its main goal is to look at all projects and in turn improves return of investment as well as reduction of costs.
This management is basically used for small scale projects and more detailed one.	This management is basically used for not only large scale projects but also for more diffused one.

Source: geeksforgeeks.org

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Top 5 Software Testing Certifications

Software Testing has helped a lot of ventures to evaluate and verify the quality of every software component so that the software can respond aptly to different inputs of stakeholders. Besides, the techniques, associated with the testing of programming, driver, or application software involve risks which, can run intentionally or intentionally in different environments. Those risks need to be remediated proactively and for doing that, businesses must have that production unit acquiring an overall knowledge of the practical implementation of risk analysis [which is an imperative part of Software Testing].

You may think about the demand for a software tester at this instance. Yes, the requirement is humongous and will always be till the creation and maintenance of software will occur!! Either you plan dynamic or static testing, you need to bring the quality testing practices on the table and for doing that, this becomes necessary – certified testers with recognition through certification by reputed institutions. Let’s take a look at top software testing certifications which won’t only land a high-paying job for you but also help the ventures reduce the risks so that their software may gain acceptance from their customers globally.

1. CAST (Certified Associate in Software Testing)

This certification can professionally identify the ability of an applicant or a candidate while demonstrating the software testing principles and their quality practices at a foundational level. Some prerequisites are there like: –

◉ 3 or 4 years degree from college-level [accredited] institution 

◉ 2 years degree from college-level [accredited] institution + 1-year experience in the IT services field 

◉ 3 years experience in the IT services field 

From the above, you must possess any ONE OF those for qualifying the candidacy of CAST. The fee of this certification is 100 US Dollars and one can pay this online after reading the payment terms carefully. Apart from all this, the certification will test your knowledge in various skill areas. They will be like how one can build ST i.e Software Testing ecosystem keeping in mind the conditions and influences surrounding, your vocabulary about methods and approaches of ST, managing the allotted software project through communication, monitoring, staffing, budgeting, and scheduling. Also, there are some other skill areas such as the magnitude of risk(s) associated with the lifecycle of the deployment current software system, designing of the test cases (like black-box), checkpoint reviews and the required exceptions, testing of the assimilated specialized technologies of mobile applications or cloud-based applications, and reporting of the tests after collecting the metrics and graphs of the data interpreted.

2. CSQA (Certified Software Quality Analyst Certification)

This certification will let you receive recognition since the candidature is identified and evaluated on the grounds of a professional level of competence. Such competence is regarding the knowledge about the practices and principles of QA i.e. Quality Assurance used in Software Testing. Undoubtedly, one needs to ethically note these prerequisites down, and they start with: –

◉ 4-year degree from college-level [accredited] institution + 2 years experience in the IT services field 

◉ 3-year degree from college-level [accredited] institution + 3 years experience in the IT services field 

◉ 2-year degree from college-level [accredited] institution + 4 years experience in the IT services field 

◉ 6 years experience in the IT services field. 

From the above, you need to acquire any ONE from those for letting your candidacy qualify. In spite of all these four pre-requisites, the fee of CSQA certification is 350 US Dollars or $450. You must access the payment policy section for knowing accurately about the terms and conditions. Indeed, the certification will be testing your knowledge about assessing the software products and the connected services in accordance with the concepts and principles of Quality Assurance; defining, implementing, and improving the quality control leadership initiatives aligning with the behavior and commitment with management, assessing the baselines of software modules so that the organizations can proactively measure the overall customer satisfaction well. Not only this but also the knowledge, about outsourcing and COTS in the internal control audits, is cross-examined that can simplify the addressed quality assurance plans.

3. International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) Certification

This certification is most widely recognized for software testing at a foundational level as well as an advanced level. Currently, expert-level certification is being developed. For all these levels, the working groups of ISTQB are operating internationally so that the candidates can prepare well for the roles like software testers, test managers, test analysts, IT directors, and QA managers i.e. quality assurance managers. In the foundational level (one module), you may either opt for the Foundational Level Core certification or Foundational Level Specialist certification. Similarly, the advanced level (three modules) is divided into Advanced Level Core certification and Advanced Level Specialist Certification. For the candidates willing to receive advanced level certification, they must possess the Foundational one. If we talk about the fees, the foundational level certification costs 229 US Dollars while each of the advanced level ISQB certification costs $249. 

Both these certifications will test your knowledge about the fundamentals of testing and quality assurance; defects, effects, and root causes of test processes, tasks, and work products, basic to the mid-level understanding of the lifecycle of software testing i.e. STLC, configuration management of the automated and agile test cases. Other than the above, tools and techniques for estimating risks (related to testing) and tracking the behavior and development of work products will be included in ISTQB certification. With this, applicants all around the world can plan and schedule the test strategies so that they help businesses progressively develop the deliverables in accordance with the key project requirements.  

4. Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)

The certification for CQE costs around 498 US Dollars and has an examination in two modes. The first one is computer-delivered (in English) which has 175 Questions in total which you need to complete in 5 hours 18 minutes. From those, 160 questions are multiple-choice type i.e. MCQ, and 15 questions are unscored which means they won’t impact your final marks. On the other side, the paper-and-pencil examination (in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean in certain locations) for Certified Quality Engineer has 160 questions that need to be completed in 5 hours. Before getting enrolled in CQE certification, you must have 8 years of experience in one or more areas of CQE or a minimum of 3 years of experience (full-time, paid role as an intern or employee) in the decision-making position (i.e you are involved with the execution and controlling of quality inspection processes) in any of its areas. 

There will be a variability in the set of topics asked like notions of service quality control and evaluation of products’ principles; development and analysis of statistical models, human factors correctly diagnosing the metrology of management information systems. Rather than these, the certification will document your critical skills related to validation and verification of sampling, distributions, and capability studies based on the hypothetical statistics of risk assessment and its acceptance.          

5. Certified Manager of Software Testing (CMST)

This certification assesses the capabilities and competencies of the applicants inclined towards software testing. Soon, they will be working at the ST management level. If one wants to be on the qualifying list of CMST’s candidacy, then any ONE from these three prerequisites must be fulfilled:

◉ Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or another field of engineering from a college-level [accredited] institution + 4 years of experience in ST field 

◉ Associate Degree + 6 years of experience in ST field 

◉ 8 years of experience in the ST field. 

Besides, there are 100 Multiple Choice Questions from which the candidate must answer 70 correctly for passing CMST certification whose fee is 450 US Dollars. On an overall basis, this certification will assess your candidature on grounds of resource planning, traceability, and controlling of various test processes, implementing and designing the product which will meet the requirements of the customers, and maintenance of releases somewhere related to the quality standards of this competitive market.  

Source: geeksforgeeks.org

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The Common Challenges in Managing and Delivering ITSM Processes

Most IT service management (ITSM) service providers face multiple challenges in IT operations (business as usual operations) that might lead to customer escalations related to them not meeting business objectives or not delivering against quality-of-service targets and the expected value. This article has been written to help you to understand these challenges and offers associated recommendations for providing better ITSM processes and IT services. Please note that the challenges are discussed from a people resource perspective and not ITSM process maturity or performance. It also refers to ITIL v3 capabilities and not ITIL 4 given that this still has the highest adoption level.

Post scope

I cover the common challenges I see and make recommendations in two sections:

1. By ITSM process roles

2. Quality of service and value delivery

Across the following ITIL-v3-based service operation and service transition processes:

◉ Major incident management (MIM)

◉ Problem management (PM)

◉ Change management (CM)

◉ Service asset and configuration management (SACM)

Note – while only the above processes are considered most of the other ITIL processes may have similar challenges.

1 – Challenges related to ITSM process roles

In my experience, these challenges are often observed with people resources with fewer than five years of ITSM operational knowledge and the service providers that have a high demand for competent and skilled resources (incident management, MIM, PM, CM, and SACM process managers and analysts):

◉ Lack of effective communication in driving/resolving MIM calls

◉ Process managers don’t understand or lack knowledge of infrastructure technology while handling major incidents, reviewing/controlling changes, and undertaking root cause analysis (RCA)

◉ Resources don’t meet client service delivery expectations especially on quality and providing value

◉ Process managers don’t exhibit leadership qualities, especially when driving major/critical incidents or when chairing change advisory board (CAB) or problem board meetings

◉ Deficiency in ITSM process knowledge

◉ People are mostly task-oriented

◉ People don’t have knowledge/experience or a good understanding of the infrastructure landscape/environment and how it’s structured

Recommendations

◉ Creating multi-skilled ITSM process resources by deploying people in various major process roles (not just one)

◉ Having a practical ITSM process training HUB – for example, creating a training division/group with real-time training packages. Some of the packages that can be considered are: Live budding in all major ITSM process calls in infrastructure projects; listening to recorded calls of major incident, RCA, and CAB meetings; personal-skills training for ITSM process managers, which includes communication, interpersonal and influencing skills, and region-specific culture-sensitivity training; and creating live MIM, RCA, and CAB calls with mock scenarios that engage multiple infrastructure teams in assigned roles

◉ All the ITSM roles (IT Operations or process managers) should acquire basic to mid-level infrastructure technical skills. Mainly on infrastructure technologies such as hosting services, mainframe, networking, and end-user services

◉ Completion of ITIL v3 Foundation certification or ITIL 4 Foundation

◉ Training for the employed problem-solving techniques need to be upgraded with various basic domain knowledge – for example, Insurance, Manufacturing, Hi-tech, Banking, and Healthcare

◉ Having a good understanding of business impacts, risks, and how business processes work

2 – Challenges related to the quality of service and value delivery

Based on my experience, many service providers will face major challenges in delivering customer expected value or overall outcomes.

These challenges include:

◉ Degradation in quality of service due to lack of ITSM process skills/competencies

◉ Process service levels are met; however, the customer doesn’t see the overall value delivered

◉ Tasks and activities are completed on time, but no outcome is met

◉ Frequent customer escalation

◉ Process improvement or service improvements are carried out without meeting customer pain areas, or the expected value is not delivered

Recommendation

Service providers need to perform a current state process assessment to understand process gaps and identify pain areas that will give overall benefits and value.

However, the current operations ITSM team may not be skilled enough to perform an ITSM process maturity assessment, so you may need to bring in ITSM process consultants or if a service provider has a CoE (Center of Excellence) group then they can likely provide the required support.

Source: itsm.tools.com

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Employee cross-training: 5 incredible benefits of this skill-sharing practice

Employee cross-training is the practice of training team members to perform tasks outside their typical roles. Implemented well, skill-sharing practices shouldn’t burden employees, but empower them to provide support in the interest of the company. The key to this approach is aligning all workers with your company’s vision so that they understand exactly what it takes to achieve success.

Successful organizations use cross-training to accelerate employees with talent potential. Where promotion isn’t necessarily viable – such as within an SME with a flatter hierarchical structure – cross-training can allow talents to side-step into new roles. Cross-training can be used to upskill new recruits too. Rather than expecting employees to have the exact skills and knowledge needed for a role when they start, providing training opportunities and skill-sharing can give them the breadth of knowledge they need to perform at their best within the company.

Cross-training takes a number of forms but most commonly will involve mentoring, guidance and lessons from peers, or completion of a professional training course. For example, our PRINCE2 Foundation course is ideally suited for Project Managers, but the framework can be of great benefit to Business Change Managers, Product Delivery Managers, Programme Office Personnel and Operational Line Managers, amongst others. Through undergoing accredited training in a wider area, professional’s skills are expanded, and the business benefits.

Read on to find out how sharing skills can have huge benefits in the project profession.

Keeps the job interesting

Monotony is a key reason for employees to leave their roles. By introducing skill-sharing practices, companies are providing their employees with a diversity of experience and ensuring their work-life has variety. The result? Improved rates of longevity, but more on that later!

Varying employee experiences keeps them interested, expands their knowledge and capabilities, and creates happier, more motivated workers. The more motivated workers are, the more engaged and productive they are. Cross-training also opens the door for employees to take on tasks within other roles and even side-step in their careers should they wish to.

Allows employees to step in

Covid-19 has taught us that things can change in an instant, and in that way, agility is king. Cross-training employees to be proficient in other roles allows them to step in should a fellow employee get sick, or be pulled away from their role for any reason. It lessens the need to outsource, which can be costly, and limits interruption too.

From an employee standpoint, this strengthens team working and collaboration. Staff know that should they need to be off work, there are people that can jump in to cover their duties. In this way, cross-training also helps to improve agility, as teams are increasingly able to adapt and react. Ensuring roles are covered is key to critical functioning and business continuity, and cross-training provides that assurance.

Builds empathy within teams

The pandemic has also proven the importance of empathy. An incredible soft skill to possess, empathy can be a tricky skill to cultivate. However, through cross-training and skill sharing, it is possible to develop empathy within your workplace and teams. Cross-training builds understanding by showing staff exactly what it is their colleagues do.

Take, for example, the role of the graphic designer on a web build. To the developers, their job may seem straightforward, but it is only when they learn more and train in the field, that they appreciate the level of skill, creativity and accuracy involved. With improved empathy, teams corporate better, and unite to work towards a shared vision.

Fills a skills gap

We’ve spoken about it before in the PRINCE2 blog, and we will speak about it again – there is a huge skills gap within the project profession! And the gap widens as job openings demand specific skill sets that even qualified graduates don’t possess. To counteract this, organisations must look to cross-training as the solution.

Cross-training increases the opportunities for existing employees, but also creates a space to recruit new talents to enter the workforce and offer them advancement, whilst importantly, filling the skills gap. Skill-sharing practices offer employees the opportunity to grow and benefit their careers. At the same time, those employees become greater assets for the business.

Improves retention

The saying goes ‘prevention is the best cure’, and when it comes to The Great Resignation this could not be more true. Employees are leaving their jobs at an unprecedented rate which is harmful to businesses. Recruitment is costly, detrimental to productivity and even damaging to reputation, and so retention must become a top priority for companies.

Not only does cross-training offer employees variety, but it also provides an opportunity for them to grow professionally while expanding their skill sets. People are your most important asset in business, and cross-training demonstrates that you value, and are ready to invest in your employees’ talents.

Source: prince2.com

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Project Management Process Activities

Principles of Project Management Process Activities :

Project management is the use of methods, tools and processes to effectively plan and execute projects. Successful project management uses teams and resources to complete project tasks within time, cost and scope. The purpose of a project is defined by the client or stakeholders, and the project manager uses project management methods to develop a plan that describes the allocation of resources, tasks, distances and releases required to meet the needs of the participants.

There are mainly 8 basic principles of the project management processes :

1. Proposal Writing

2. Project Planning and Scheduling

3. Cost of Project

4. Project Monitoring and Review

5. Personal Selection and Evaluation

6. Report Writing and Presentations

7. Quality Management

8. Configuration Management

1. Proposal Writing :

Proposal Writing includes –

◉ A brief analysis of the vital objectives of the project.

◉ How the objectives will be achieved and fulfilled.

◉ Cost and schedule estimates.

2. Project Planning and Scheduling :

Project planning includes –

◉ Identification of activities.

◉ Causes (reports, manual) of management.

◉ Deliverables for the customer.

Project scheduling includes –

◉ The division of the project into separate activities.

◉ The judgement of time to complete each task.

3. Cost of Project :

Project cost represents the sum of all project-related outputs supported by long-term funding. It is important that Project Expenditure is accurately measured as under cost estimates will lead to a lack of funding. Cost of the project includes –

◉ Estimating the total cost of projects. 

4. Project Monitoring and Review :

Monitoring is an ongoing process and includes –

◉ Project progress is regularly compared to planned time and cost schedule can be done through informal daily conversations or formal meetings.

Reviews include –

◉ Review of all technological advances in the project is done regularly.

5. Personal Selection and Evaluation :

Personal selection and evaluation includes –

◉ Selection of skilled and experienced project staff.

◉ Regular monitoring of staff performance.

◉ Inexperienced employees can be trained.

6. Report Writing and Presentations :

The purpose of the presentation is not simply to convey details. After all, the audience at the show can read a written report for themselves. The purpose of the presentation is to ‘sell’ the ideas contained in this report by urging the audience to act on its recommendations. 

◉ The project report is written briefly to present before the client & contractor.

7. Quality Management :

Quality management includes –

◉ Quality Assurance

◉ Quality Planning

◉ Quality Control

Quality is the intensity of the purpose or the degree of coherence of the results of the process or process itself. Quality control consists of evaluation, measurement and evaluation to ensure that project results meet the acceptance process defined during quality planning.

8. Configuration Management :

Configuration is a set of functions designed to control change by identifying work products that can change, establish relationships between them, defined management methods a different kind of these products, controls and set changes auditing and reporting on changes made. It Includes –

◉ Identifying work products.

◉ Product management and control, testing, change reporting.

Project Management Process Activities Advantages :

Whether you run a small business or an established organization, you may not be able to manage all kinds of projects from start to finish. Some projects are very difficult and have strong deadlines or require special skills that your team may not have. A qualified project manager can help you plan and manage the most time-consuming tasks. An experienced project manager will motivate your team, manage resources, measure outcomes, provide feedback and find ways to increase quality and reduce costs or time. Other project management skills include enhanced planning strategies, responsiveness change, improved communication, quality control and risk management.

Project Management Process Activities Disadvantages :

If a project manager does not have the right information or knowledge, there are many problems that can arise. Loss of resources, planning problems, security issues and conflicts between people are major issues in project management. Additionally, your organization may incur higher costs by outsourcing or hiring new staff to complete the project. In some cases, project management may interfere with your day-to-day operations or may even go away from usual.

Source: geeksforgeeks.org

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Delegation in Project Management

Delegation :

It is that the assignment of authority to subordinates during a defined area and making them liable for the results. Delegation means entrustment of a part of the work, or responsibility and authority to another, and the creation of accountability for performance. It refers to a manager’s ability to share his burden with others. It takes place when one person gives another the right to perform work on his behalf and in his name, and the second person accepts to corresponding duty or obligation to do what is required of him. It is a skill of which we have all heard but few understand.  It is often used either as an excuse for dumping failure on to the shoulders of subordinates or as a dynamic tool for monitoring and training your team to realize their full potential.

It is an administrative process of getting things done by others by giving the responsibility.  Every superior delegates the authority to subordinates for getting a specific work done. The process goes to the extent where actual work is executed. The person who is made responsible for a particular work must be given the requisite authority for getting it done. A project manager is not judged by the work he actually performs on his own but the work he gets done judged by the work he actually performs by himself but on the basis of the work done by the others. He assigns duties and authority to others and ensures the achievement of desired goals. So, we can say these delegations is the assignment of authority in a defined area to others and making them responsible for results.

Objectives of Delegation : 

The objective of the delegation is to get the job done by someone else. To enable someone else to do job for you, you must ensure that the following objectives and key parameters as follows.

◉ To know what you want.

◉ To have the authority to achieve it.

◉ To know how to do it.

◉ Delegate tasks must be the following key parameters.

    ◉ Specific

    ◉ Measurable

    ◉ Agreed

    ◉ Realistic

    ◉ Time-bound

    ◉ Ethical

Characteristics of Delegations : 

The delegation has the following characteristics as follows.

◉ Delegation takes place when a person or manager grants some of his powers to others.

◉ Only a part of authority delegated.

◉ It is only the authority that is delegated not the authority.

◉ It creates accountability.

Guiding Principles : 

Goals while delegating are to be as follows.

◉ Provide opportunity for growth and development.

◉ Increase morale and self-confidence.

◉ Enhance creativity and skill.

◉ Increase staff involvement and commitment to the job.

Problems in Delegation : 

The main problem which one has to confront in a delegation is as follows.

◉ What tasks to retain and what to delegate?

◉ How to establish trust worthiness of the delegatee?

◉ How to ensure the proper flow of communication?

◉ How control can be exercised?

◉ How to motivate the delegatee to assume the total responsibility?

Source: geeksforgeeks.org

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Difference between General Management and Project Management

1. General Management :

General Management, as name suggests, is simply managing, coordinating and controlling operations, usage of available resources, and time to achieve specified goal or objectives of organization.

2. Project Management :

Project Management, as name suggests, is simple planning, organizing, controlling, and monitoring all procedures, project, resources, to achieve objectives or goals of organization and as well as fulfilling requirements of clients.

Difference between General Management and Project Management :

General Management	Project Management
It mainly focuses on management of general activities.	It mainly focuses on management of project and related tasks.
General manager should have various skills such as Strategy and development, capable of managing conflicts, team-building skills, etc.	Project manager should have various skills such as Leadership, risk management, communication skills, technical skills, problem-solving skills, etc.
Its main aim is to manage all resources of company and oversee daily operations.	Its main aim is to complete project with fulfilling requirements of clients or customers on specified time.
It is a continuous process.	It is a temporary process.
General manager only work within organizational premises.	Project manager not only work within organizational premises, but they also can work outside organizational premises.
General manager have to oversee operations or functions daily and manage them through resources, tools, etc. There role is never ending.	When project gets closed once it achieve required goals or objectives, then project manager role is completed and ended.
General manager have unlimited authority over their staff.	Project manager does not have any authority over their staff.
General management requires general manager having skills of general management to lead various projects.	Project management requires project manager having skills of solving, improving, correcting problems.
Main focus of general manager is on capability of team members working within organization.	Main focus of project manager is on requirements of project.

Source: geeksforgeeks.org

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