Written By Jacqlyn Shelton

On January 15, 2019, the Agile Forum of Atlanta presented the "Backlog Planning Exercise" led by Rob Phillips (Principal Solutions Architect/AgileCraft) and Sara Phillips (CSM, PMP, PE, and Project Manager).

The purpose for the "Backlog Planning Exercise" was to generate and rank topics for the 2019 Agile Forum Event Calendar. The backlog process began with the formation five self-managed brainstorming groups. Each person in the group generated an idea about their favorite Agile topic, something they wanted to learn or believed others would benefit from learning.

The second phase of the backlog process utilized the ranking method. Each person used a point-value scale to grade their colleague's idea. The idea with the best evaluation from their colleagues moved on to the next level of scoring. The brainstorming sessions generated twenty-one potential Agile topics to explore.

In the last phase of the process, Rob and Sara explained how to execute multiple scoring and the evaluation methods that can be utilized to rank topics. All of the attendees participated by voting in a ranking session that highlighted defined business values applicable to the Agile Forum. The forum was successful in generating a backlog of topics for the Agile Forum Event Calendar.

Thank you, Rob and Sara Phillips, for facilitating and demonstrating a process that encouraged interaction among the participants, that engaged the participant's creativity, and that executed the agile decision-making process.

Thank you, MATRIX Resources for sponsoring the PMI Atlanta Agile Forum.

MATRIX Resources has 35 Years of Excellence experience providing staffing, agile and digital transformation services to help companies solve tough IT and business challenges. Visit www.matrixres.com for resources and information.

The PMI Atlanta Agile Forum provides value by helping members enhance their Agile implementation knowledge in an interactive setting, as well as, learn and share ideas on various Agile tools, techniques, and best practices. Everyone is welcome!

We look forward to seeing you at the February 19, 2019 meeting at 6 pm. Register at www.pmiatlanta.org

About PMI

Atlanta Chapter serves Project Management Community in Metro Atlanta, and we're an active resource to corporations, community and government agencies throughout north Georgia. With over 5,000 members, PMI Atlanta is among the top 5 chapters in the world. Our professional expertise span across industries; we’re the professionals building healthcare information technology systems, the engineers developing smarter public transportation, and the planners growing our communities more efficiently.

Written by Deborah Johnson, MBA MPH PMP

On December 11^th 2018, Stephen (Steve) T. Hopper, PE, Founder and Principal of Inviscid Consulting was the featured presenter at the Architecture Engineering & Construction (AEC) Forum.

Last year ,the Material Handling Institute (MHI) released The Material Handling & Logistics US Roadmap 2.0. This report predicts how supply chains will evolve between now and the year 2030.  The result of a comprehensive, seven-month study involving more than 200 supply chain-industry thought leaders. Steve Hopper was one of the Roadmap's participants and roundtable leaders, as well as a researcher and a co-author of the final report.

In his presentation, Steve Hopper listed the driving factors and disruptors predicted to shape the future of supply chain.  Then he discussed the implications of these forces/disruptors.  Key subject matter areas of change included:

• Technology
• Consumers
• Workforce
• Logistic Infrastructure

This was a fascinating presentation! The futuristic, “Jetson-like” realities of these changes already underway were both amazing and unsettling.  These are the things we could hardly imagine 5 years ago.  Such concepts as fog computing (aka the “internet of things), mass-personalization and the “non-human” workforce to name a few. The pace of change is higher than ever and it continues to accelerate. 

In conclusion – change is inevitable and fast.  It’s important to recognize the driving forces and disruptors affecting supply chain as well as their implications.  Then invest accordingly into infrastructure and developing the capabilities to thrive. Steve closed by offering the group copies of the actual report from Materials Handling Institute (available upon request) by contacting him directly.

To learn more about Architecture, Engineering and Construction Forum and the value it brings to projects, please join us at a future forum. The calendar can be found on the PMI Atlanta web site at http://www.pmiatlanta.org.

About PMI

Atlanta Chapter serves Project Management Community in Metro Atlanta, and we're an active resource to corporations, community and government agencies throughout north Georgia. With over 5,000 members, PMI Atlanta is among the top 5 chapters in the world. Our professional expertise span across industries; we’re the professionals building healthcare information technology systems, the engineers developing smarter public transportation, and the planners growing our communities more efficiently.

Written by: Jacqlyn Shelton

On October 16, 2018 the Agile Forum- PMI Atlanta Chapter presented a “Recruiter Panel Discussion” session which consisted of panelist whom provided tips and pointers to professionals looking to expand their careers into Agile, Scrum, or similar Project Manager (PM) opportunities. The attendees were professionals who desired career advice and/or expert evaluation of their credentials from Recruiters with decades of experience.  

The interactive session began by capturing questions from the attendees and the panelist providing advice. The forum was moderated by Joshua Jack (Director of Transformation for MATRIX Resources) standing on right.  Panelist were (right to left): Brandon Goodson (Recruiting and Talent Specialist for Strive Consulting), Chris Gegoudas (Recruiting Manager for MATRIX Resources), Nicole Plaisted (Professional Solutions/Business Development Manager for TRC), Dalas Burns (Senior Recruiter for TRC Professional Solutions), Rachel Howard (Chief Cultural Officer for LeadingAgile) and Lisa Leff (Director of Recruiting for Genuent Technologies).

Panelist Tips/Pointers:

• Always be ready to represent who you are and what you have to offer.
• Be flexible with change, process, technology, opportunities, and commuting. The more flexible the more opportunities to get your dream job.
• Honesty is critical on your resume and during an interview: Be transparent and open.
• Managers want to hire people they like and trust.
• If you meet 50% of the requirements on a job post, apply for the position. Apply for positions even if do not think you qualify because most job descriptions on websites or postings are not accurate.
• Gaps in your Resume: Be honest about gaps in resume, hiring Managers know life happens.

• Top 5 hard and soft skills that are in high demand for these roles

• Interpersonal Skills (let your personality and drive sell you)
• Honesty (be transparent)
• Flexible (be willing to try a new opportunity, to compromise to get your dream job)
• Growth (be open to opportunities that are offered to you)
• Teamwork (communicate and interact with everyone)

The forum concluded with two breakout sessions with Panelist and Attendees:

Resume-at-a-Glance (Review and evaluate individual attendee’s resumes),

Panelist and Individual Attendees Questions/Answers (individual Attendees Question/Answers). Many attendees consulted with both groups.

The PMI Atlanta Agile Forum wishes to thank our location sponsor: MATRIX Resources. MATRIX Resources has 35 Years of Excellence experience providing Staffing, Agile and Digital transformation services to help companies solve tough IT and business challenges.

The PMI Atlanta Agile Forum provides value by helping members enhance their Agile implementation knowledge in an interactive setting, as well as, learn and share ideas on various Agile tools, techniques and best practices. Everyone is welcome!  We look forward to seeing you at the meeting in January 2019.

Visit the PMI Atlanta website www.pmiatlanta.org to register.

About PMI

Atlanta Chapter serves Project Management Community in Metro Atlanta, and we're an active resource to corporations, community and government agencies throughout north Georgia. With over 5,000 members, PMI Atlanta is among the top 5 chapters in the world. Our professional expertise span across industries; we’re the professionals building healthcare information technology systems, the engineers developing smarter public transportation, and the planners growing our communities more efficiently.

Written by Neil Rivenburgh

The October Healthcare forum attendees were enthralled with the experiences of Jill Morrisey, CEO of Camp Twin Lakes. Jill began by sharing her impressive career running neuroscience programs at Piedmont Hospital and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.  She discussed how she is able to wear all of these hats and pull from the varied experience each time she faces a new challenge.

After years of working in large hospital systems, she was looking forward to a role that would be a fun and carefree experience – casual dress, working outdoors at camp.

Camp Twin Lakes provides a safe place for special needs children to meet others like themselves and have a development plan that helps them grow. “Through intentional play, we develop mindful and confident children who are prepared to triumph over challenges. By learning perseverance, resilience, and a sense of community, our campers leave transformed and capable of extraordinary things.”

It takes a big team to run the camp. Jill and her people work with about 65 partners to enable it to operate. It provides an experience for 10,000 kids. She spends a lot of her time raising funds to keep the camp running and growing.  Jill's passion to help kids build life skills, friendships and self-esteem propels her and camp volunteers to serve at Camp Twin Lakes.

Jill developed operational policies and procedures to run an efficient and sustainable camp. She shared an enlighten example of how project management was needed to manage and maintain Camp Twin Lakes farm. This farm consisted of 70 cows and 200 chickens who produces food for the camp. The importance of farm, led Jill to work closely with the camp farmer to develop a project plan that can be trained to other staff to run the farm efficiently end to end.

Jill talked about the importance of having contingency plans (“Think about Plan B … then Plan C … and Plan D”). She emphasized to “Plan as much as possible then think through every ‘what if’.”  Jill also address the need for Enterprise Risk Management for every project. Utilizing a risk matrix enabled her to plan for various risk that can occur.  Risk were ranked on a scale from “Remote” chance of occurring to “Very Likely” and how bad the impact could be from “Insignificant” to “Critical.”

Jill shared the project management process that is used for the camp.

• Program Evaluation
• Initiate Planning
• Program Design
• Training and Contingency Planning
• Implementation

She also stressed the importance of an effective communication plan. Effective communication is imperative especially for first time campers, as parents are very anxious when their kids have never been away from them. Therefore, frequent communication is needed to maintain parent’s confidence and trust in the camp abilities to take care of their kids.

Overall, Jill Morrisey delivered an inspiring message on how project management is used at Camp Twin Lakes to provide a wonderful experience to so many children.

Please join us Tuesday, November 27th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Joint Technology & Healthcare Forum for the: Keynote Presentation: “Living the Innovator’s Lifestyle” presented by Rob Wilson, Professional Speaker, Author & Storyteller

Location: Hewlett Packard Enterprise
5555 Windward Parkway, Alpharetta, Georgia 30004

About PMI

Atlanta Chapter serves Project Management Community in Metro Atlanta, and we're an active resource to corporations, community and government agencies throughout north Georgia. With over 5,000 members, PMI Atlanta is among the top 5 chapters in the world. Our professional expertise span across industries; we’re the professionals building healthcare information technology systems, the engineers developing smarter public transportation, and the planners growing our communities more efficiently.

Written by Neil Rivenburgh

On August 15^th, the attendees at the PMI Healthcare forum was informed and entertained by Dr. Jerrica Dodd, founder and CEO of Your Pharmacy Advocate, LLC. Your Pharmacy Advocate is a personalized pharmacy consulting service company. Her presentation “How to Leverage Your Project Manager Strengths in an Unfamiliar Role” addressed how a Project Managers can support a startup founder or a new business owner in driving multiple projects and initiatives forward.

Dr. Dodd has 20 years of experience in the pharmacy industry. Over the past year she has dedicated herself to growing a startup company called Your Pharmacy Advocate. She believes “everyone needs a pharmacist advocate in their life”. Her desire to pursue this opportunity spun from a series of medical situations with herself and her parents where she had to advocate for the best possible care. The average person would not been equipped to do so.

Dr. Dodd asked the audience, “Have you ever found yourself in an unfamiliar situation?” This is where she found herself when trying to grow and develop a start-up company. After some hesitation, she decided, “you just have to move!” And move she did.

As she started her new endeavor, Dr. Dodd realized she would need capable individuals in order to reach her goal. She enlisted a good Project Manager and other key roles to drive her vision forward. She considered her own role to be one of building future leaders and executives who would continue to grow the company.

Dr. Dodd’s suggestions for career success and development were outlined as:

• Understand the mission and vision of the organization you are joining      
• Learn the company culture and how to add to it
• Do your research – study the company’s social media posts and website
• Learn about the industry segment
• Understand the governing bodies
• Be Flexible
• Be coachable
• Commit to something bigger than yourself
• Commit to grow others around you
• Never stop learning

Please join us Wednesday, September 19^th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Healthcare Forum for the:

Keynote Presentation: “Population Health and U.S. Healthcare System: Opportunities for Project Management Applications” presented by Dr. Imoh Okon, Georgia State University/ Assistant Professor, Clinical Research PhD. MSc, MPH (c), PMP

Location: Philips Healthcare

PHA Academy
One Deerfield Centre
13560 Morris Road
Alpharetta, GA 30004

About PMI

Atlanta Chapter serves Project Management Community in Metro Atlanta, and we're an active resource to corporations, community and government agencies throughout north Georgia. With over 5,000 members, PMI Atlanta is among the top 5 chapters in the world. Our professional expertise span across industries; we’re the professionals building healthcare information technology systems, the engineers developing smarter public transportation, and the planners growing our communities more efficiently.