How to Solve Product Design Questions -The Great PM Interview

Product design (also known as Product sense) is the most common question asked during PM interviews. It should not be confused with the UI-UX or system design challenges. Here, product design is a journey where you explore diverse questions and challenges pertaining to product discovery & development. The journey begins with the search for answers to Why, Who, What, Where, When and How. However, all of these need to be investigated in a limited time frame of 30-45 mins during an interview. Product design problems can be either case studies or open ended questions on technology or physical products.

Discover the ten steps needed to crack the Product Design/ Sense Interview - HERE.

Innovation – what are the essentials?

The eight essentials of innovation

From McKinsey & Company –

“It’s no secret: innovation is difficult for well-established companies. By and large, they are better executors than innovators, and most succeed less through game-changing creativity than by optimizing their existing businesses.

Yet hard as it is for such organizations to innovate, large ones as diverse as Alcoa, the Discovery Group, and NASA’s Ames Research Center are actually doing so. What can other companies learn from their approaches and attributes? That question formed the core of a multiyear study comprising in-depth interviews, workshops, and surveys of more than 2,500 executives in over 300 companies, including both performance leaders and laggards, in a broad set of industries and countries (Exhibit 1). What we found were a set of eight essential attributes that are present, either in part or in full, at every big company that’s a high performer in product, process, or business-model innovation.”

Read more>> 

"Operations Improvement & Managing Change” Training Course - London - June

Register by 30 April and save  £ 145

Join us in London on the 15th & 16th June 2015 for our “Operations Improvement & Managing Change” training program.

Operations Improvement and innovation are the actions taken to identify, analyze and improve existing business and other operational processes within an organisation to meet its goals and objectives. Operations Improvement applies to all businesses, organizations and their activities – from large modern-day corporations, through offices, factories, shops – and at all levels from businesses or organizations with thousands of staff right down to Mom ‘n Pop stores.

This course is designed for all people involved in business, services and other profit and non-profit organisations to introduce them to the world of Operations Improvement through business and organizational processes – what they are and how they can be improved, leading to a reduction in operating costs and achieving greater operational efficiencies.

For full details and registrations CLICK HERE.   

The solution to Wall Street’s 1960s paperwork crisis could also save bitcoin

From Quartz –

“In the late 1960s, Wall Street had a paper problem. Every time a stock changed hands, a physical stock certificate had to be exchanged as well.

Back then, the securities business relied on a cottage industry of old men, often retired police officers and firemen, chomping cigars in trench coats as they schlepped valises, suitcases and even steamer trunks full of stock certificates—or bearer bonds, or cash—to and fro in lower Manhattan, in New York’s financial district. If a courier was out on the street with a particularly valuable suitcase, the risk manager—he was not a spreadsheet jockey, but rather the guy who managed the metal cage holding the firm’s valuable documents and cash—would ask the other couriers to sit tight until the transaction “cleared” and the other side of the trade was safely back in the bank.”

Read more>>

Bank of England launches CBEST framework to test and improve financial sector cyber resilience

From Continuity Central

“In a speech at the British Bankers’ Association, Andrew Gracie, Executive Director, Resolution, at the Bank of England, formally launched a new framework to help identify areas where the financial sector could be vulnerable to sophisticated cyber attack. This is part of the Bank of England’s response to the Financial Policy Committee’s recommendation to test and improve resilience to cyber attacks.

The new framework called CBEST uses intelligence from Government and accredited commercial providers to identify potential attackers to a particular financial institution. It then replicates the techniques these potential attackers use in order to test the extent to which they may be successful in penetrating the defences of the institution. On completion of the test there will be workshops for the firm to work through the results with the testers and supervisors.”

read more>>

Real Time DevOps

From Deloitte CIO Journal

“IT organizations need to better respond to business needs with speed and agility. IT can likely improve the quality of its products and services by standardizing and automating environment, build, release, and configuration management—using tools like deployment managers, virtualization, continuous integration servers, and automated build verification testing. Popular in the agile world, DevOps capabilities are growing in many IT organizations with either waterfall or agile methodologies.”

Unlocking the Passion of Your Workers

From Deloitte CIO Journal

To address perpetually mounting competitive pressures, organizations need workers who bring passion to their jobs to navigate challenges and accelerate performance improvement. Yet only 11 percent of U.S. workers surveyed by Deloitte possess the necessary attributes that lead to accelerated learning and performance improvement.

The Benefits of In-House Training

Citadel Advantage Training provides tailored training solutions delivered at a location of your choice. Using the combination of the experience of our conference and course trainers and the specific needs of your organisation, we can deliver a cost effective training solution in a format which best meets your organisational goals.

By using our In-House training, you will benefit from the expertise and knowledge that is associated with Citadel Advantage gained over many years of hands-on in--the-field experience.

Whether it is one-to-one coaching or group training for a small team or an entire department, Citadel Advantage In-House Training will provide you with a development programme to meet your business objectives.

Citadel Advantage offers a wide and comprehensive range of professional courses and training for commercial and central banks in the three core areas of operational risk management,, payment systems and operations/back office management.

Examine our wide range of course offerings at http://www.citadeladvantage.com/catalog.htm

Benefits of In-house Training include:

A tailored solution to fit around your organisational needs

• Our product offering ranges from our off the shelf conferences or courses to creating a a specific training solution to meet your organisations exact needs.

Experienced trainers with in-depth knowledge

• Our small team of trainers are professionals who are not only experts in their field but also have extensive in-depth business-specific knowledge, with exceptional ability to communicate this to participants.
• Have a long standing track record of delivering outstanding training programs in the UK, USA, Europe, Africa, China, Dubai, Singapore, & Hong Kong

Better working practices and improved internal communications

• When training at a team level, your staff achieve more than just training on the course subject area. 
• In-house training allows the team to interact in a positive way with co-workers at a peer level as well as management providing added organisational benefits. 

Reduced costs

• Save money on costs associated with expensive air- travel to training venues, hotel accommodation, meals and time out of the office.

In-depth evaluation

• Extensive feedback package following the training, with contributions from the facilitator as well as the participants.

For more details CLICK HERE to indicate your interests and we will get back to you.

TRAINING COURSE – PROCESS IMPROVEMENT & MANAGING CHANGE

Johannesburg, South Africa - 4 & 5 April 2011

Process Improvement and innovation is a series of actions taken to identify, analyze and improve existing business and other operational processes within an organisation to meet its goals and objectives. These may include the need to reduce costs, achieve greater operational efficiency, the merging and simplification of existing processes. Business process improvement follows a specific methodology or strategy to create successful results. All business operations whether back-office, middle-office or front-office are based on business processes. Often however, Business Processes have been inherited from earlier times, have been endlessly modified over time and tend to lose their earlier efficiencies.

With Process Improvement comes change. Often too, these changes introduce a layer of uneasiness to the individuals that make up the financial institution. Just as critical as the innovation and improvement is getting your staff to accept change as beneficial even within their own comfort zones.

This course is designed specifically for bankers to introduce them to the world of Business Processes – what they are and how they can be improved. It incorporates managing change, and how by coping with change, the changes themselves are strengthened and enhanced.

How you will benefit from this course

• Understanding a Business Process—what it is and how it is mapped.
• Understand how business processes can be improved.
• Understanding change and our reactions to this.
• Understanding stress within the context of process reengineering and change.
• Successful approaches to planning, initiating and managing a successful process improvement project.

Who should attend?

The course has been specifically designed for executive, operations and business staff at all levels in both financial institutions and other firms. This includes;

• Senior Executives
• Operations Managers
• Risk Managers
• Business Managers
• Internal and External Auditors
• Operations Officers
• Compliance Officers
• I.T. applications providers serving financial institutions

Course Venue:


REGUS Sandton, Nelson Mandela Square
West Tower, 2nd Floor, Nelson Mandela Square
Maude St.
Sandown
Johannesburg 2146
Tel: +27 (0) 11 881 5600

Nearby Hotels

Holiday Inn Sandton +27 (0)11 269 7000
Da Vinci Hotel Santon +27 (0)11 282 7094
Sandton Sun & Towers Sandton +27 (0)11 780 5000
Hyatt Sandton +27 (0)11 280 1234
Michelangelo Sandton +27 (0)11 282 7000
Hilton Sandton +27 (0)11 322 1888

There are many other hotels in the area too.

For a fully descriptive brochure please send a blank e-mail to sharon@citadeladvantage.com with PROCESS-JHB in the Subject line.

DOWNLOAD/ PRINT COURSE REGISTRATION FORM

Please scan & e-mail completed Registration form to sharon@citadeladvantage.com


Registration-Process-Jhb-Apr11 -

TRAINING COURSE – PROCESS IMPROVEMENT & MANAGING CHANGE

Madrid, Spain – 7 & 8 March 2011

Process Improvement and innovation is a series of actions taken to identify, analyze and improve existing business and other operational processes within an organisation to meet its goals and objectives. These may include the need to reduce costs, achieve greater operational efficiency, the merging and simplification of existing processes. Business process improvement follows a specific methodology or strategy to create successful results. All business operations whether back-office, middle-office or front-office are based on business processes. Often however, Business Processes have been inherited from earlier times, have been endlessly modified over time and tend to lose their earlier efficiencies.

With Process Improvement comes change. Often too, these changes introduce a layer of uneasiness to the individuals that make up the financial institution. Just as critical as the innovation and improvement is getting your staff to accept change as beneficial even within their own comfort zones.

This course is designed specifically for bankers to introduce them to the world of Business Processes – what they are and how they can be improved. It incorporates managing change, and how by coping with change, the changes themselves are strengthened and enhanced.

How you will benefit from this course

• Understanding a Business Process—what it is and how it is mapped.
• Understand how business processes can be improved.
• Understanding change and our reactions to this.
• Understanding stress within the context of process reengineering and change.
• Successful approaches to planning, initiating and managing a successful process improvement project.

 Who should attend?

The course has been specifically designed for executive, operations and business staff at all levels in both financial institutions and other firms. This includes;

• Senior Executives
• Operations Managers
• Risk Managers
• Business Managers
• Internal and External Auditors
• Operations Officers
• Compliance Officers
• I.T. applications providers serving financial institutions

Course Venue:


REGUS Madrid Palacio Miraflores
Carrera de San Jerónimo 15
2º. Palacio de Miraflores
Madrid 28014
Spain
Tel: +34 91 454 7000

Nearby Hotels

Santander
Carrera De San Jerónimo 26
Madrid 28014
Tel: +34 91 369 1078

Urban
Carrera De San Jerónimo 34
Madrid 28014
Tel: +34 91 787 7770

Inglés
Calle De Echegaray 8
Madrid 28014
Tel: +34 91 429 6551

Asturias
Calle De Sevilla 2
Madrid 28014
Tel: +34 91 429 6676

There are many other hotels in the area too.

For a fully descriptive brochure please send a blank e-mail to sharon@citadeladvantage.com with PROCESS-MADRID in the Subject line

DOWNLOAD/ PRINT COURSE REGISTRATION FORM
Please scan & e-mail completed Registration form to sharon@citadeladvantage.com


Registration-Process-Madrid-11 -

Citadel Advantage & IASeminars partner to offer a week-long joint program in London in June

Citadel Advantage, a global banking solutions provider specializing in payment systems, operational risk management, business continuity planning, and liquidity management, has partnered with IASeminars Ltd, an international leader in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) training and education solutions to offer a week-long joint program in London: Banking Transformation 2010 – IFRS and Process Improvement.


This program on Banking Transformation is comprised of two distinct modules which can be attended separately, though together they are designed to address the challenges facing banking and other financial institutions in the year ahead. Places for this unique event are limited, and advance booking is required.

• June 21-22 - Process Improvement and Managing Change in a Banking Environment
• June 23-25 - IFRS for Banks and Other Financial Institutions

“Process Improvement and Managing Change in a Banking Environment” will be led by Citadel Advantage industry experts who are experienced in addressing business continuity, compliance, payments, risk, and host of other issues which are faced by banking professionals on a daily basis.

The June 21-22 program is an intensive course on business processes, what they are and how they can be improved. The program also deals with managing the effects that changes to business processes bring about, and gives insights into how to use a specific business process improvement methodology to create successful results.

"Process Improvement is extremely critical for financial institutions, but can only succeed if understood and managed correctly" said Richard Barr, Citadel Advantage Principal Associate. "We are excited to be cooperating with IASeminars in our first offering of a combined training event which truly tackles the needs that financial institutions face and provides invaluable knowledge that all management need in today’s demanding market"


“IFRS for Banks and Other Financial Institutions” will be led by international experts from the IASeminars IFRS banking faculty who have benefited from banking regulatory and international IFRS implementation experience.

The June 23-35 program is interactive, hands-on, and makes use of case studies, exercises, and model financial statements to explore the effects that the current and likely future IFRS requirements will have on the financial statements of banks and other financial institutions.

"Adopting and complying with IFRS is a key organisational change affecting financial institutions around the world," said Marc Gardiner, IASeminars Managing Director. "We are delighted to be collaborating with Citadel Advantage to offer a combined training event which addresses the issue of banking transformation and also provides the necessary skills for finance executives to thrive and grow in this challenging environment."

This new collaboration with Citadel Advantage expands IASeminars offerings to over 100 international accounting courses available in some 50 cities around the world on topics including:

• IFRS Basics
• IFRS Transition and Implementation
• IFRS vs. U.S. GAAP Differences
• IFRS for SME's
• IFRS for Financial Instruments, Derivatives and Hedging

By cooperating with IASeminars, Citadel Advantage also increases the range of its services. Citadel Advantage offers a comprehensive array of professional training courses for commercial and central banks in the areas of; Operational Risk Management (for Basel II and for back-office risk mitigation), Specific Operational Risk Management areas (including Business Continuity Planning, Anti Money Laundering & Payment Systems), and Liquidity Management.

About Citadel Advantage

Citadel Advantage (http://www.citadeladvantage.com/) provides back office system specialist services, specifically covering operations risk mitigation, fraud prevention, payments, and liquidity & treasury systems. The company provides services relating to the design, functionality, risk mitigation, training and operation (including payment flow control and liquidity management) of Payment Systems and associated Back Office operations activities.

About IASeminars

IASeminars (http://www.iaseminars.com/) has established itself over 10 years as one of the world's leading independent providers of international accounting seminars. With offices in London and Washington, D.C., it offers several hundred public courses each year on six continents. IASeminars events attract thousands of senior delegates from around the world, who are taught by an international faculty of expert instructors.