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Category: Technology

Analytics, Change Management & Technology

What is Agile Development and How is It Different from Scrum?

Posted on by Imarticus Learning

Agile development, which is also known as agile software development is a term that is used to describe a set of principles for the development of a software. This is a system where cross-functional teams are supposed to function in a more collaborative manner and assist in the evolvement of solutions and requirements.

Developed by Agile Architecture, this software technology is supposedly advocative of various aspects like adaptive planning, evolutionary development, continuous improvement, early delivery.

It also plays an instrumental role in influencing responses, which are more flexible in nature, when it comes to change. The term ‘Agile’ was supposedly coined in the year 2001 and was included in the Agile Manifesto. In keeping with the brand name, it is usually written as Agile, with a capital A.

The philosophy of this software dictates that agile software differs largely to the traditional software engineering programs. It is supposed to mainly target product development and complex systems, all of which have non-deterministic and non-linear characteristics.

All those professionals who have expertise in this software, usually are responsible for reducing the whole idea of ‘leap of faith’, which is required by users right before any evidence of the value can be readily obtained. When it comes to big and up front specifics, they usually tend to be economically unsound and thus lead to a lot of wastage of resources.

These and many such industry experiences, in the previous times have proved instrumental in the shaping of agile development’s iterative and evolutionary development.

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While it is believed that a number of agile methodologies happen to share much of the similar philosophy to Scrum methodologies. Apart from this, they also happen to share numerous similar traits and practices. But all of these differ when it comes to the point of implementation. Each software then has its own practice, technical jargon and functions. Scrum is known as a very lightweight agile project management framework, with varied applications when it comes to management and control of diverse projects.

Mainly due to its ability to be a wrapper for a number of engineering practices, which other agile methodologies promote, Scrum has increasingly gained popularity. Here the product owner is able to work closely with the team and is able to assist in the identification of Product Backlog. This is basically a set of features, fixes for bugs and many other aspects which prove to be useful, when it comes to delivering a successful software system.

In the scrum software, the sprint that is considered to the basic unit, when it comes to development; and in each sprint the working team is supposed to create finished portions of the very product. On the other hand, the Agile method iterations, usually involve the working of a team through a full software development cycle.

This involves planning, analysis, design, coding, unit testing, acceptance testing and so on. While both of these software development technologies seem to be different in nature, but are equally popular among students who usually take up professional training courses at Imarticus Learning.

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Policy Principles for Fintech: Productivity Potential

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Policy Principles for Fintech: Productivity Potential

The financial services industry is considered to be more of information industry. Here the real value of money is not really taken into account rather, it (money) is a nominal representation of the real value (which would be the goods and services provided). While a majority of industries that follow similar paths have sort of experienced disruptive gains.

Contradictory to those, the Fintech industry has been at the receiving end of incremental innovation. Today due to the influx of the development of technology, the financial services industry stands at a juncture, where expensive, single purposed networks are giving way to cheaper, and general-purpose ones.

When we talk about this industry, we must bear in mind its long and historical tryst, with the IT sector. For instance, it was during the 1950s that the Diner’s Club and American Express, which happened to be a mail delivery firm, provided their customers with the first credit cards, in order to lessen their cash burden.

Then came the next decade and banks began to offer self-service ATMs, in a bid to improve the quality of their tellers. The decade after that saw the emergence of the great stock market. This stock market was instrumental in replacing the manually functioning floor trading, with electronic stock trading. This change was brought about for the sake of making trading faster and cheaper.

The ’80s brought about new avenues for experimentation and banks started with various new processes, in order to help their customers. This was the time when net banking was introduced and this move was made so as to provide network services, which allowed customers to conduct their banking business from anywhere.

The later couple of decades saw banks becoming more tech-savvy and fully embracing the potential of internet banking. Today, almost all of the banks have adapted themselves to the world of mobile banking, most of which have their own mobile applications, which allow the customers to do everything at the click of a button.

As opposed to the belief during the olden days, the increasing rates of inclusion of the IT sector in banks have led to a greater increase in labor productivity throughout the sector. Let’s take the example of all of the banks in the United States, in the field of commercial banking the labor productivity from the year 1987 to 2015, has increased by 153 percent. This is about twice as much as the labor productivity increase of the whole economy.

The introduction of Information Technology has gone on to ensure full automation of the tiniest of services, increasing efficiency. For instance, banks would automate all of their back-end processes, which would, in turn, save them hundreds of hours of a monthly routine.

Today the technology has benefited the banks so much, as to the fact that it allows the banks to have fewer branches, yet have more efficiency and productivity. Self-service options like ATMs, mobile banking, and so on have helped in further reducing the costs of the banks’ services and improving their productivity. This is the reason why more and more candidates take up courses from Imarticus Learning in order to be a part of this field.

Career-hacks: 5 Tips to Rock Your First Job

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A first job (whatever position it may be) is definitely bound to be extremely daunting. But have you ever wondered how different it would be if you had like a manual of sorts? This way you would know all the tricks which would help ease that anxiety and stress. What if we were to tell you that there are certain scientifically proven, magical career hacks, which would get you from a newbie to an experienced professional?
Here are five such tips to get you started:
#1: Post-its for the win
Many social scientists have found that when compared to a typed out message, a post-it note makes a bigger difference. Using these would make it effective in asking someone to get a particular task done for you. Asking for help in the more modern and nonchalant way will give off oodles of results. Don’t believe us? The next time you want your boss to help you out with a certain report, all you’ve got to do is stick a post-it on it and then watch PIs work their magic.
#2: Being concise is of great value
Facts state that any average reader would only be able to pay attention to the written word up to about 300 words. Anything more than that and you’ve lost them as well as the message that you wanted to send across. Remember the 300 world rule the next time you are shooting a mail to a colleague. Another thing to remember is writing all the important detail at the very beginning of the mail, instead of leaving them until the end. This is because most of the professionals due to their busy schedule tend to skim through emails and hence the important things would be left out.
#3: Notepads are your best friend
Wherever you go in your professional capability, always ensure to carry a notepad with you. When you are a fresher in a workplace, it is very obvious to be really overwhelmed by a lot of things, which is why your attention will never be able to be on one thing. This is where notepads come to your rescue, even if you are just doodling something, they make you look very engaged. You can note down questions and important points and mull them over after the meeting gets over as well. Change Management Banner
#4: Ask a favour of someone who is your nemesis
Have you heard of the Benjamin Franklin effect? This was basically what Franklin did to become friends with another rival legislator. You can definitely try applying this when it comes to a co-worker with whom you’re facing certain difficulties. Whenever you ask someone for a favour, it makes that person think as to why they should do you a favour if you aren’t really nice. This way you can lay down a good foundation for best friendship in future.
#5: Always explain
If you explain why you need something more than the other person, then chances are that they will give it to you. All you have to do is use the word ‘because’ while explaining it. This way, it increases your chances of getting greater success in whatever you want, from single copy maker machine to greater things.
So now that you know of these tricks, be sure to use them as well. Many professionals today have begun to realize the importance of generating skills that are industry relevant, which is why institutes like Imarticus offer basic assistance on workplace etiquette.

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Life Hacks: 5 Tips to Help You to Crack Interviews

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While we all may be extremely talented and confident in our daily lives, the mention of an interview definitely ends up making us feel insecure. So many of us tend to ask our relatives, friends, parents as well as neighbours for any kind of information that would help us better our chances of cracking the interview. But the truth is, that we live in the year 2017 and just a melange of very ordinary tips like ‘be a perfectionist’, or ‘sit straight and look the interviewer in the eye’ are not really going to cut it. This is the reason why we must look for interview tips, which are more like life hacks.

Here’s a list of five such life hacks that are guaranteed to smoothen out your interview process.
1. Research is of utmost importance
While you may think that the above-mentioned hack sounds quite similar to those generic ones, but it’s not. You must research about the company you are going to be interviewed for, but not in the same old way. Take help of the all-powerful Google search engine. All you have to do is register your G-mail account on their service called Google Alerts. There you can put in the keyword for which you require information, in this case the name of your company. What this service does is, it sends you all the latest information about your keyword, on your email id. This way you will be able to follow every highlight and current happening of your company.
2. Prepare a cheat sheet
Yes, we are well aware that carrying a cheat sheet is always against the rules, but then again when it comes to a job interview, that is not the case. Think of the cheat sheet as similar to your visiting cards or C.V, many people happen to share both of these at every interview they go. Now to the more important part, what you must include in your C.V.? All you have to do is include one or two of your accomplishments at your previous jobs. It would be better if one was an individual assignment and the other would be a team assignment. This way you would be able to present a detailed summary of your previous profiles to your potential employer.
3. Exercise helps
Are you prone to nervous jitters before an interview or anything similar? You can solve this worry by literally getting pumped up. Exercising would help loosen your muscles and get your blood moving. Thus you will be able to keep your mind clear and stay focused instead of being consumed by anxiety. If you haven’t got the time to pencil in a work out, then just a brisk walk or rather a few jumping jacks would be more than enough too. Just remember to take a shower after your exercise and you’re good to go.
4. Schedule an interview early in the day
Most of the HR managers take your preference of interview timings, so make sure that you get yourself a morning slot. This is mainly because of the fact that no one can function properly knowing they have an interview in the evening. This way, you would be readily inviting a case of anxiety butterflies by waiting the whole day. Scheduling interviews in the morning or earlier in the day will help you appear more confident and fresh.
5. Join a course
Many HR Managers today, feel that a number of candidates although educationally prepared, are not prepared for the industry. This is the reason why an increasing number of professionals have begun taking courses that train them to develop industry relevant skill sets.
Imarticus Learning helps candidates with getting industry endorsed training and proper career guidance to crack their interviews with finesse

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Is A Career As A Business Analyst, Right For You?

Posted on by Imarticus Learning

Business Analyst as the name denotes, is a professional who is supposed to analyze any type of a business, then may it be a firm, an online portal and so on. Some of the major responsibilities of a business analyst constitute doing an in-depth analysis of a firm’s strategies, organizations, and policies. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of this professional to sieve through the various problems and try and find out solutions for the same. They document the various process that go on under the umbrella of a firm and try to solve any arising problems.
Does the above sound like something you would be adept to do? Have you been contemplating of venturing into the field of business analysis? Listed below are few of the qualities, that make for a very good career in business analysis. Read on to know if you fit the bill.

Having An Eye For Detail

If you feel that you can confidently pick out the proverbial needle out of the haystack, then this field definitely appreciates your nit-picky qualities. Business Analysts are people who more often than not are the mediators of conversations, they are responsible for getting people to communicate and hash out differences, which could be potentially liable to business. If you believe in the gleaning process, of getting to the root of the problem, finding great ideas amidst an incoherent mess, then this field is for you.

Technicalities Are Your Comfort Zone

Be it looking for a solution or implementing it, a BA always needs to be equipped with in-depth technical knowledge about the requirements of the firm. Whether you are considering work in capital markets, technical writing, project management or recruitment, being in tune with all the technicalities in indispensable. This field will fit your personality perfectly if you have always liked being in the thick of things and are interested in being responsible for bringing about changes. There are aptitude tests so as to check whether your career choice fits your personality.

 

The Must-Haves

Wasting resources or getting work outsourced are two things that a BA would never go along with, mainly because it is their job to untangle internal knots in the set boundaries. Mediator skills make up for important components of a BA, as they are the ones responsible for conflict management most of the times. BA’s are professionals who like to get the proverbial ball rolling; facilitating meetings, brainstorming sessions, being hands-on for every crisis are some of the skills that are required off of them.
Imarticus Learning offers certification courses in Business Analysis that are specifically designed for careers in various functions like technology, operations, and finance. They offer industry endorsed courses, with expert professionals as their faculty and provide a well rounded program for candidates looking for a career in Business Analysis.

Also Read: Business Analyst Career Path

Key Questions in Business Analysis in 2017

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Business Analysis deals with identifying problems and the need for change in an organization and providing solutions to the problem and facilitating change. Business Analysts identify the needs of a business and provide solutions that will deliver maximum value to stakeholders. Business analysts work across all levels of an organization and may be involved in everything from defining strategy, to creating the enterprise architecture, to taking a leadership role by defining the goals and requirements for programs and projects or supporting continuous improvement in its technology and processes.
But as businesses get more complicated, questions surrounding Business Analysis also change and get more dynamic. Here are some of the top questions and trends in Business Analysis and business analysis courses and workshops in 2017.
What is Distributed Leadership and is effective? As leadership gets more distributed and the one decision-maker model crumbles, Business Analysis will have to create models that take into consideration more than one variable
How will better Design and technology affect Business Analysis? Apps are making a huge difference in business Analysis. How does that impact model making and problem definition?
Is there value in certification?  We believe there is value in Business Analysis courses and the rise in MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) reflect the interest project managers have in improving business analysis skills and problem-solving models
How does creativity and entrepreneurship affect Business Analysis? Business Analysis certifications focus on frameworks. What is the role of creative entrepreneurship in that?
How will Agile training change as a business move towards teamwork rather than focusing on the individual? And how do we make teams react to organizational change better?
Find out the answers to all these questions by enrolling in BACP, the leading Business Analyst Course in Mumbai. Click here for more information.

Business Analysts Making Way For Profitability in Organizations

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The 21st century has witnessed business analysis as one of the core business practices. Reason being, almost each industry possesses skilled business analysts who contribute to the overall profitability, thus proving to be a vital link between their information technology capabilities and business objectives. This eventually narrows down to the fact that the rapidly changing marketplace presents a host of opportunities for business analysts.  However, training is undoubtedly very essential seize this opportunity as it prepares them with the skills desired to remain competitive in the modern organizations.
What role does a business analyst play in an organization?
Present day business environment is highly wavering wherein nothing can contribute to the extent that innovation can. Hence, the key to success lies in an organization’s adaptability, agility, and ability to manage constant change through innovation. The emphasis has been laid upon innovation for the fact that during the unfavorable economic conditions, traditional methods may not lead to reaching objectives. That’s where business analysis and the role of business analysts come into play.
Profitability of an organization could be achieved when the projects successfully meet the customer objectives through new products and services. In this case, the business analyst contributes a lot towards analyzing what all is working in favour of the organization and suggesting the areas that desire change. They can make it all happen more efficiently and effectively.
The business analyst’s primary objective is helping businesses implement technology solutions in a cost-effective way by determining the requirements of a project or program, and communicating them clearly to stakeholders, facilitators and partners. Business analysis training at Imarticus Training inculcates the basic skills required to lead as a business analyst for firms. This not merely helps develop the technical solutions to business problems but also helps in advancing the sales efforts.
Business analysts typically take the lead role in:

  • Assisting with the business case
  • Planning and monitoring
  • Eliciting requirements
  • Requirements organization
  • Translating and simplifying requirements
  • Requirements management and communication
  • Requirements analysis

Wish to be a successful business analyst? Contact Imarticus Learning for comprehensive industry specific training programs in various sectors such as Financial Services and Analytics.

Here’s why you should be a Business Analyst?

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If you have an inclination towards the BA space, here’s what your personality should look like..

Like resolving problems?

Do you get very frustrated when being dragged through a poorly thought-out process.

Concept Detector?

You might not be the one with the best concepts, but you know a great concept when you see one. And you are motivated to see through that idea when everyone else’s attention has moved on to the next great thing.

Help People Communicate:

You always seem to sense when people are talking to each other but not communicating with each other. And you’re at your happiest when jumping into the discussion to clarify things.

Like to work independently?

Maybe as much as two thirds of your day. Business analysts tend to spend about 2/3 of their time working independently and 1/3 of their time in meetings and interacting with stakeholders.

Also a great team -player?

If you had to spend the other third of your day all alone working on some technical problem or doing repetitive work, you might just pack up your things and quit.

Are you a bit like a 2-year-old?

Always asking why, why, why. (Although good BAs ask why with finesse, something we teach you how to do in our Essential Elicitation Skills course.)

Like to build on your deep business experience?

Whether as a subject matter expert, technical writer, project manager, sales person or recruiter, just to name a few possibilities. All of this experience you have adds up to something and has prepared you to be a great business analyst.

Like earning more money?

Given that the average salary of a business analyst in the U.S. is over 80K/year, many professionals are attracted by the prospect of a nice pay increase once they solidify their BA career.
There are various ways to get into a Business Analysis career, one of which is to get lucky and wait for the opportunity to knock your door, and the other is to upgrade and grab it yourself. There are various business analyst training courses in India, this being a practical & interactive role, getting into an online training is not much of a help. To know more about business analyst training classes led by an industry expert (Classroom), to know more Click Here.
Sohail Merchant – Team Imarticus