This free lesson of The Agile PrepCast will be describing the Agile method called Lean. The term "Lean Software Development" was first used in the book Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit, written by Mary and Tom Poppendieck. Lean Software Development is a translation of lean manufacturing and lean IT principles and practices used in the Toyota Production System and then adapted for software development. Seven basic principles form the foundation of Lean Software Development, which in turn are implemented on Agile projects by employing a set of 22 supporting tools.

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You are beginning to execute a project to develop a new customer service system for a medical device manufacturer. You and your team concluded a meeting whose outcomes included defining and negotiating roles, responsibilities, procedures, and processes. What was the project management interpersonal and team skill that you demonstrated during this meeting?

A. Training
B. Video conferencing
C. Team building
D. Negotiation

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HINT: Negotiation is only one part of this important interpersonal skill.
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All our questions are updated to the latest A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide) standard. Stop by at http://free.pm-exam-simulator.com/ and try the PM Exam Simulator free for 7 days. We are a Project Management Institute (PMI)^® Registered Education Provider.

Answer and Explanation:
The correct answer is C.

Team building is the process of helping a group of individuals, bound by a common purpose, to work with each other, the leader, external stakeholders, and the organization. The result of good leadership and good team building is teamwork. Team-building activities consist of tasks (establish goals, define, and negotiate roles, responsibilities, and procedures) and processes (interpersonal behavior with emphasis on communication, conflict management, motivation, and leadership).

Details for Each Option:

A. Training
Incorrect. Training includes all activities designed to enhance the competencies of the project team members. The methods include classroom, online, computer-based, on-the-job training with a peer, mentoring, and coaching. The meeting described above does not reflect the outcomes of training, which would be a set of improved competencies or skills.

B. Video conferencing
Incorrect. Video conferencing is a communication technology that may be used on projects. However, video conferencing is not considered an interpersonal and team skill for project management.

C. Team building
Correct. Team building is conducting activities that enhance the team's social relations and build a collaborative and cooperative working environment. Like the outcomes described in the scenario, the objective of team building is to help individual team members work together effectively.

D. Negotiation
Incorrect. Negotiation among team members is certainly one interpersonal and team skill used for the Develop Team process to reach consensus on project needs. Negotiation can build trust and harmony among the team members. One of the activities described in the question involved negotiation. However, negotiation does not fit all the activities described.

Reference: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide) – Sixth Edition, Project Management Institute Inc., 2017, Page 340-342

Lessons learned towards becoming a Project Management Professional (PMP)^® shared with us by PM PrepCast student Franklin Seabrook, PMP.

"After a little over 4 months of nonstop studying (including over 300 hours and 9 practice exams), I passed the PMP^® exam this week, with above target's in all categories. This was a roller coaster ride to say the least. I've historically never been a good test taker (below average on SAT and GMAT); therefore, I knew this was going to be a challenge for me. I wanted to make sure I was well prepared for this exam, so I developed a strict study plan. My goal was to study at least 15 hours a week. Here are the steps I took:

1. Read A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide) from cover to cover. This took about a month as I wrote down notes as I was reading through each chapter. I have to admit that I didn't learn/retain much during my first read as I didn't fully grasp the flow of processes or understand how each knowledge area related to each other.
2. I read the outdated Andy Crowe book, "How to pass on your first try". Although this book was outdated (based on the 5th edition) I was able to understand a lot of the concepts and tools/techniques that were still applicable. I also read the PMBOK^® Guide again as I was reading through Andy Crowe's book. This took another month.
3. PM PrepCast podcast - The last few months I utilized the PM PrepCast as much as possible. My commute to work is about an hour an a half in total. Therefore, leading up to the exam I listened to his podcast, sometimes even repeated them. I did this to utilize my time as effectively as possible and to assure I would continue to retain this information throughout my studies..."

Read more here: https://www.project-management-prepcast.com/kunena/pmp-exam-lessons-learned/7258-passed-the-pmp-on-first-attempt-5-at-s

During execution of your project, a major dispute arises between your company and one of its vendors following your latest review of the vendor's performance reports. Your company's position is that the vendor has failed to meet certain performance obligations under the contract terms. The vendor feels that your company is behind in making payments. What is the best course of action for you to take in this situation?

A. Refer this issue to a third party for mediation or arbitration
B. File a contract claim and then work directly with the vendor to resolve the issue
C. Terminate the contract early, document lessons learned, and find another vendor who can do the work
D. Conduct a procurement audit

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HINT: What is the tool used during Control Procurements to document, process, monitor, and manage disputes between a buyer and seller?
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All our questions are updated to the latest A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide) standard. Stop by at http://free.pm-exam-simulator.com/ and try the PM Exam Simulator free for 7 days. We are a Project Management Institute (PMI)^® Registered Education Provider.

Answer and Explanation:
The correct answer is B.

When disputes arise on a project, claims administration can be an effective tool to help buyers and sellers reach an agreement and prevent damage caused by litigation and early contract termination. Filing a contract claim and working with the vendor to reach an agreement is a more direct problem-solving approach and therefore the 'best' answer choice. Claims administration also refers to using alternative dispute resolution. However, since mediation and arbitration can be costly, risky, and time-consuming processes, of the choices provided, negotiation is the preferred method of settling disputes and is, therefore, the best course of action for you to take in this situation.

A. Refer this issue to a third party for mediation or arbitration
Incorrect. Claims administration is used during the Control Procurements process to handle claims, disputes, or appeals between a buyer and a seller. Alternative dispute resolution, which involves mediation and arbitration, can be costly and time-consuming to a project and should only be used if the parties cannot first resolve a claim on their own.

B. File a contract claim and then work directly with the vendor to resolve the issue
Correct. When disputes arise on a project, the disputing party should first seek to negotiate or work directly with the other party to settle the dispute and document the issue by having one or both parties file a claim. This claim should be processed, monitored, and managed throughout the contract lifecycle.

C. Terminate the contract early, document lessons learned, and find another vendor who can do the work
Incorrect. Early termination of the contract would be an overreaction at this point since the company has yet to try resolving the dispute using claims administration. Since the early termination of the contract could create delays to the project schedule or added cost, this would not be the 'best' answer choice.

D. Conduct a procurement audit
Incorrect. From the question, you can determine that the project is in the process of Control Procurements, as your company is still administering the contract and monitoring the vendor's contract performance. Procurement audits, however, are a primary tool of the Close Procurements process and are mainly used to capture lessons learned from the procurement process to help inform future projects.

Reference: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide) – Sixth Edition, Project Management Institute Inc., 2017, Page(s) 498

Today, we present to you one video from our discussion of the different Agile implementation methods in which we look at Scrum. Scrum is embraced by most organizations that not only want to implement Agile principles quickly on their projects but are also interested in implementing Agile principles across their entire organization.

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