HARTMANN software group

Agile/Scrum Training Classes in Flint, Michigan

Learn Agile/Scrum in Flint, Michigan and surrounding areas via our hands-on, expert led courses. All of our classes either are offered on an onsite, online or public instructor led basis. Here is a list of our current Agile/Scrum related training offerings in Flint, Michigan: Agile/Scrum Training

We offer private customized training for groups of 3 or more attendees.
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Agile/Scrum Training Catalog

Agile Development with Scrum Class
cost: $ 790length: 2 day(s)
Agile Scrum for Leaders Class
cost: $ 390length: 1 day(s)
Applying Professional Scrum Class
cost: $ 790length: 2 day(s)
Certified Scrum Master (CSM) Class
cost: $ 1190length: 2 day(s)
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) Class
cost: $ 1190length: 2 day(s)
Estimating and Planning for Scrum Teams Class
cost: $ 390length: 1 day(s)
Introduction to Jira Administration Class
cost: contact us for pricing length: 3 day(s)
Managing Agile Projects Using TFS 2017 Class
cost: $ 2060length: 3 day(s)
Managing Agile Projects Using VSTS Class
cost: $ 2060length: 3 day(s)
Managing Projects Using Scrum Class
cost: $ 1length: 590 day(s)
Professional Scrum Product Owner Class
cost: $ 790length: 2 day(s)
Safe Scrum Class
cost: $ $790length: 2 day(s)
Scrum Product Owner (SPO) Class
cost: $ 1150length: 2 day(s)
SOA Architecture and Design Principles Class
cost: $ 790length: 2 day(s)
TFS 2017 Immersion Class
cost: $ 3390length: 5 day(s)

Course Directory [training on all levels]

Technical Training Courses
Software engineer/architect, System Admin ... Welcome!
Business Training Courses
Project Managers, Business Analysts, Paralegals ... Welcome!
Upcoming Classes
Gain insight and ideas from students with different perspectives and experiences.

Blog Entries publications that: entertain, make you think, offer insight

What are static variables in Python?
[Mar, 30, 2014]    |
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Static variables in Python are created as part of the class declaration.  By contrast, instance variables are created as part of a regular method and not a classmethod or staticmethod.

 

class A:
  i=3  # static variable
	
  def dosomethingregularmethod(self):
       self.k=4   # instance variable
	
# to access static variables


A.i
Finding the Right Candidate from a Recruiters Perspective
[Mar, 23, 2017]    |
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I’ve been a technical recruiter for several years, let’s just say a long time.  I’ll never forget how my first deal went bad and the lesson I learned from that experience.  I was new to recruiting but had been a very good sales person in my previous position. I was about to place my first contractor on an assignment.  I thought everything was fine.  I nurtured and guided my candidate through the interview process with constant communication throughout.  The candidate was very responsive throughout the process.  From my initial contact with him, to the phone interview all went well and now he was completing his onsite interview with the hiring manager. 

Shortly thereafter, I received the call from the hiring manager that my candidate was the chosen one for the contract position, I was thrilled.  All my hard work had paid off.  I was going to be a success at this new game!  The entire office was thrilled for me, including my co-workers and my bosses.  I made a good win-win deal.  It was good pay for my candidate and a good margin for my recruiting firm. Everyone was happy. 

I left a voicemail message for my candidate so I could deliver the good news. He had agreed to call me immediately after the interview so I could get his assessment of how well it went.  Although, I heard from the hiring manager, there was no word from him.  While waiting for his call back, I received a call from a Mercedes dealership to verify his employment for a car he was trying to lease. Technically he wasn’t working for us as he had not signed the contract yet…. nor, had he discussed this topic with me.   I told the Mercedes office that I would get back to them.  Still not having heard back from the candidate, I left him another message and mentioned the call I just received.  Eventually he called back.  He wanted more money. 

I told him that would be impossible as he and I had previously agreed on his hourly rate and it was fine with him.  I asked him what had changed since that agreement.  He said he made had made much more money in doing the same thing when he lived in California.  I reminded him this is a less costly marketplace than where he was living in California.  I told him if he signed the deal I would be able to call the car dealership back and confirm that he was employed with us.  He agreed to sign the deal. 

What is Design Thinking and How Does it Apply to HR?
[Jan, 28, 2020]    |
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The Context Of Design Thinking And Its Application In Employee Skill Training

Design thinking is a crucial pillar in today’s problem-solving imperatives. In fact, it is being pursued as a unit course in various institutions across the globe, thus underlying its importance in aiding objective human thinking. It’s not a specific property for designers. Far from it, it has emerged as an innovative solution-seeking tool for all great inventors and innovators.
 
By description, it is a design methodology used for tackling complex problems that are virtually unknown or ill-defined, through a careful evaluation of the human needs involved, understandably restructuring the problem, by brainstorming to create many solutions, and by adopting a direct approach in testing and prototyping. It helps us come up with creative ways to solve nagging problems that stem from us and especially in the workplace setting.
 
The ‘overwhelmed/overburdened employee’ is a common term in HR offices across many organizations in the world. Employees are faced with a huge challenge in regards to coping with fast-paced technological and office changes in the working environment. This had led to a massive stagnation in productivity, prompting HR heads to look for new ways to reduce their employees’ stress and workload.
 
While evaluating many options, this model of thinking has posed as a helpful tool for HR managers when dealing with their vexed employees. IT training, in particular, has helped shape the productive realms of many companies out there.
 
Let’s explore how this thinking domain can be used to plan employee skill training:
 
Empathize
If you want to show concern for your employees, first empathize with their situation. Seek to understand the needs of the employees deeply, what they lack, what they need, and the challenges that they are likely facing. This will act as the basis of plotting the problem and working on the next phase of solving it.
 
You can collect data in this phase through empathy maps and journey maps. In the latter, you endeavor to steadily track the day-to-day activities and tasks of employees. This is achieved through observations or structured interviews. In turn, it aids in elevating the thinking process.
 
Through empathy maps, you ponder on collected findings and synthesize them keenly. Here, you seek to establish how an employee is thinking, their feelings, and insights into the probable root cause of the problem.
 
Define the Problem
After a comprehensive analysis of the collected data; the problem definition phase should follow. The idea here is to locate the underlying root of the problem concisely. HR should seek to utilize an analysis framework to help address problems affecting the holistic being of all employees. Therefore, each issue would require a list of underlying causes: lack of motivation, lack of knowledge/understanding, or just lack of skill.
 
Once the root cause(s) are clearly defined, a clear problem statement should be drawn up alongside performance goals that are firmly based on actual drivers. 
 
Think Solely About Employee-Based Solutions (iterative learning)
Conventionally, customers are at the heart of every organization’s dealings. They inspire and drive the company’s objectives because they are crucial in profit making. However, employees have greatly suffered while working ‘behind the scenes.’ Such situations have led to employees feeling discontent and work under immense pressure, which inevitably leads to underperformance. To avoid this, the experimental learning concept can be utilized by HR offices to engage employees more by creating solutions that directly suit the situations they encounter daily.
 
Here, trainers are removed as the center of focus. An iterative ‘reflection’ cycle is established to tap continuous employee feedback in a bid to sharpen their skills. This method helps employees adapt to new technology through a well established IT consulting network. In the long run, employees don’t forget how they handled a particular problem, and this effectively raises a firm’s productivity.
 
Support Employee Tasks with Simple Technology (Ideate)
The simplest way to support employee-working experience is by not sidelining them unprepared with changing technology processes. As an HR Manager, fully engage your employees when transitioning to new tech by making use of effective training or consulting services. Specific training needs can be assessed and addressed within the organization or with a third party industry expert. 
 
According to Deloitte’s 2016 Global Human Capital Trends Report, design thinking was isolated as crucial in crafting the employee experience. 79% of those interviewed identified it as imperative. However, almost a similar percentage agreed that a lot of compliance programs and training are still based on outdated modes of meetings and processes.
 
The report also recommended the need to put necessary consideration on employees through proper IT training for far colossal efficiency. One way to make this work is by drawing a connected roadmap of skills and information needed at certain work intervals. Shedding off overwhelming and irrelevant amounts of data for new employees is vital in retaining their concentration and output. What’s more, a customizable app can help employees undertake appropriate tasks at the specified time, thus resulting in higher revenue for the long term.
 
Implementing an Intuitive Tech Learning Approach (Ideate)
The basis of this argument is that not every employee is the same. All of them are differently gifted and shouldn’t be forced to use one inflexible technology or system that doesn’t cater to their individual needs in a buzzing work environment. This mode of critical thinking brings to life personas such that fictive employees representing a defined group of external employees are drawn up. In this set-up, the personas should be able to learn and work efficiently within their own small environment while quickly utilizing their own skill set and the required information to make things work.
 
An HR manager can replicate this working scenario through the use of role-plays. This can be achieved by conducting short-term soft skills training sessions to sharpen their ability to handle similar situations. In the case of new technology, video-replays on how to use it in a one-on-one customer scenario can help relieve the pressure and spur the employee to be more productive.
 
Prototype and Testing
Here, the HR Manager should run a couple of tests to ensure whether the desired model of skill training is working. One way to get started is by crafting a simple prototype of the technology required, probably as a single module to establish its viability.
 
The new technology should be vigorously tested during prototyping to pinpoint any leaks, disjoints, or performance issues. Structured walkthroughs can be implemented to help employees navigate the solution through proper IT training sessions.
 
What’s more, HR should conduct sessions to get the employees’ views, emotions, or feelings regarding the new solution. In case of any cause for concern, the prototype should be improved until it meets the intermediate needs of its users.
 
Iterations are also a common occurrence in this phase. Refinements and alterations are curved out to make sure that the final thing suits every employee in some understandable capacity.
 
Wrapping Up
Design thinking is crucial in any organizational setting in making sure that employees sync properly with the technology in place. This will go a long way in improving their productivity.
E-books vs Hard Copies
[Aug, 10, 2012]    |
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There has been and continues to be a plethora of observational studies by different researchers in the publishing industry focused on how e-books have affected hard-copy book sales. Evidence from these studies has indicated that there is a significant and monumental shift away from hard-copy books to e-books.[1]These findings precipitate fears that hard-copy books might become more expensive in the near future as they begin to be less available.  This scenario could escalate to the point where only collectors of hard-copy books are willing to pay the high price for ownership.

The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, made a statement in July 2010 that sales of digital books had significantly outstripped U.S. sales of hard-copy. He claimed that Amazon had sold 143 digital books for its e-reader, the Kindle, for every 100 hard-back books over the past three months. The pace of this change was unprecedented;  Amazon said that in the four weeks of June 2010, the rate of sales had reached 180 e-books for every 100 hard-backs sold. Bezos said sales of the Kindle and e-books had reached a "tipping point", with five authors including Steig Larsson, the writer of Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, and Stephenie Meyer, who penned the Twilight series, each selling more than 500,000 digital books.[2] Earlier in July 2010, Hachette said that James Patterson had sold 1.1m e-books to date.

According to a report made by Publishers Weekly, for the first quarter of 2011, e-book sales were up 159.8%; netting sales of $233.1 million. Although adult hard-cover and mass market paperback hard-copies had continued to sell, posting gains in March, all the print segments had declined for the first quarter with the nine mass market houses that report sales. Their findings revealed a 23.4% sales decline, and that children’s paper-back publishers had also declined by 24.1%.[3] E-book sales easily out-distanced mass market paperback sales in the first quarter of 2011 with mass market sales of hard-copy books falling to $123.3 million compared to e-books’ $233.1 million in sales.

According to .net sales report by the March Association of American Publishers (AAP) which collected data and statistics from 1,189 publishers, the adult e-Book sales were $282.3 million in comparison to adult hard-cover book sales which counted $229.6 million during the first quarter of 2012. During the same period in 2011, eBooks revenues were $220.4 million.[4] These reports indicate a disconcerting diminishing demand for hard-copy books.

Tech Life in Michigan

Home of the Ford Motor Company and many other Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 Companies, Michigan has a list of famous people that have made their mark on society. Famous Michiganians: Francis Ford Coppola film director; Henry Ford industrialist, Earvin Magic Johnson basketball player; Charles A. Lindbergh aviator; Madonna singer; Stevie Wonder singer; John T. Parsons inventor and William R. Hewlett inventor.
Learning is like rowing upstream:  not to advance is to drop back.  ~Chinese Proverb
other Learning Options
Software developers near Flint have ample opportunities to meet like minded techie individuals, collaborate and expend their career choices by participating in Meet-Up Groups. The following is a list of Technology Groups in the area.
Fortune 500 and 1000 companies in Michigan that offer opportunities for Agile/Scrum developers
Company Name City Industry Secondary Industry
Lear Corporation Southfield Manufacturing Automobiles, Boats and Motor Vehicles
TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. Livonia Manufacturing Automobiles, Boats and Motor Vehicles
Spartan Stores, Inc. Byron Center Retail Grocery and Specialty Food Stores
Steelcase Inc. Grand Rapids Manufacturing Furniture Manufacturing
Valassis Communications, Inc. Livonia Business Services Advertising, Marketing and PR
Autoliv, Inc. Auburn Hills Manufacturing Automobiles, Boats and Motor Vehicles
Cooper-Standard Automotive Group Novi Manufacturing Automobiles, Boats and Motor Vehicles
Penske Automotive Group, Inc. Bloomfield Hills Retail Automobile Dealers
Con-Way Inc. Ann Arbor Transportation and Storage Freight Hauling (Rail and Truck)
Meritor, Inc. Troy Manufacturing Automobiles, Boats and Motor Vehicles
Visteon Corporation Van Buren Twp Manufacturing Automobiles, Boats and Motor Vehicles
Affinia Group, Inc. Ann Arbor Manufacturing Automobiles, Boats and Motor Vehicles
Perrigo Company Allegan Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech Pharmaceuticals
BorgWarner Inc. Auburn Hills Manufacturing Automobiles, Boats and Motor Vehicles
Auto-Owners Insurance Lansing Financial Services Insurance and Risk Management
DTE Energy Company Detroit Energy and Utilities Gas and Electric Utilities
Whirlpool Corporation Benton Harbor Manufacturing Tools, Hardware and Light Machinery
Herman Miller, Inc. Zeeland Manufacturing Furniture Manufacturing
Universal Forest Products Grand Rapids Manufacturing Furniture Manufacturing
Masco Corporation Inc. Taylor Manufacturing Concrete, Glass, and Building Materials
PULTEGROUP, INC. Bloomfield Hills Real Estate and Construction Real Estate & Construction Other
CMS Energy Corporation Jackson Energy and Utilities Energy and Utilities Other
Stryker Corporation Portage Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech Medical Devices
General Motors Company (GM) Detroit Manufacturing Automobiles, Boats and Motor Vehicles
Kellogg Company Battle Creek Manufacturing Food and Dairy Product Manufacturing and Packaging
The Dow Chemical Company Midland Manufacturing Chemicals and Petrochemicals
Kelly Services, Inc. Troy Business Services HR and Recruiting Services
Ford Motor Company Dearborn Manufacturing Automobiles, Boats and Motor Vehicles

training details locations, tags and why hsg

the hartmann software group advantage
why take Agile/Scrum Training with the hartmann software group?
A successful career as a software developer or other IT professional requires a solid understanding of software development processes, design patterns, enterprise application architectures, web services, security, networking and much more. The progression from novice to expert can be a daunting endeavor; this is especially true when traversing the learning curve without expert guidance. A common experience is that too much time and money is wasted on a career plan or application due to misinformation.

The Hartmann Software Group understands these issues and addresses them and others during any training engagement. Although no IT educational institution can guarantee career or application development success, HSG can get you closer to your goals at a far faster rate than self paced learning and, arguably, than the competition. Here are the reasons why we are so successful at teaching:

  • Learn from the experts.
    1. We have provided software development and other IT related training to many major corporations in Michigan since 2002.
    2. Our educators have years of consulting and training experience; moreover, we require each trainer to have cross-discipline expertise i.e. be Java and .NET experts so that you get a broad understanding of how industry wide experts work and think.
  • Discover tips and tricks about Agile/Scrum programming
  • Get your questions answered by easy to follow, organized Agile/Scrum experts
  • Get up to speed with vital Agile/Scrum programming tools
  • Save on travel expenses by learning right from your desk or home office. Enroll in an online instructor led class. Nearly all of our classes are offered in this way.
  • Prepare to hit the ground running for a new job or a new position
  • See the big picture and have the instructor fill in the gaps
  • We teach with sophisticated learning tools and provide excellent supporting course material
  • Books and course material are provided in advance
  • Get a book of your choice from the HSG Store as a gift from us when you register for a class
  • Gain a lot of practical skills in a short amount of time
  • We teach what we know…software
  • We care…
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Interesting Reads Take a class with us and receive a book of your choosing for 50% off MSRP.