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Agile Technology Selection for Smarter Decisions

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Agile Technology Selection for Smarter Decisions

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Craft a goal-aligned business case and measurable success criteria

  • Design and run collaborative, scenario-based evaluations that expose real vendor capabilities

  • Compare, score, and negotiate suppliers without checklist bias or waterfall overhead

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

17 assignments

Taught in English

There are 17 modules in this course

This course introduces a lean, user-focused framework for selecting technology, emphasizing agility over traditional checklist-driven methods. By replacing vendor hype with agile experiments, cross-functional collaboration, and scenario-driven proof-of-concepts, you’ll quickly identify the best-fit technology for your needs. This approach reduces risk, enhances stakeholder confidence, and ensures smarter decisions.

Through practical examples and hands-on activities, you’ll learn to craft business cases aligned with goals, define measurable success criteria, and design collaborative evaluations that expose vendors' real capabilities. By mastering this approach, you will improve your ability to make informed, evidence-based decisions for any tech investment. What makes this course stand out is its focus on real-world, outcome-driven methods. Unlike conventional vendor selection processes, it blends theory with practical applications, helping you select the right technology quickly and efficiently. This course is ideal for product owners, IT strategists, procurement teams, and anyone involved in technology selection. A basic understanding of business goals and a desire to make informed decisions is all that’s needed to benefit from this course. Copyright @ 2017 Tony Byrne and Jarrod Gingras. All rights reserved. Originally published by Rosenfeld Media, LLC. This course edition is published by Packt Publishing under license from Rosenfeld Media LLC. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise-without prior written permission from the author or the publisher.

In this section, we design a concise technology business-case framework, quantify TCO and ROI with defendable data, and align formal case formats to stakeholder priorities for confident investment decisions.

What's included

2 videos2 readings1 assignment

2 videosβ€’Total 2 minutes
  • Course Overviewβ€’1 minute
  • Craft a No Bullshit Business Case - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
2 readingsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
  • Understanding True Costsβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Technology Business Case Essentialsβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we define essential selection-team roles, craft a cross-functional composition plan across operations, finance, technology and users, and apply concise responsibility and communication tactics for objective, efficient decisions.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Build a Selection Team That Works - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Building an Effective Technology Selection Teamβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we establish lightweight governance, define streamlined decision models, and honestly measure team capacity, enabling projects to align, accelerate approvals, scale predictably, and satisfy audit requirements.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Get the Basic Foundations Right - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Foundations for Successful Digital Initiativesβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we discover how to gather stakeholder insights, write user centered business requirements, and prioritize them for persuasive requests for proposal, demos, and vendor comparisons.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Capture Requirements That Don't Suck - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Effective Requirements Capture Practicesβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we establish a standard user story template, evaluate prioritization criteria, and apply story slicing to size backlogs, highlighting how these practices streamline requirements, sequencing, and delivery.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Why User Stories Are Everything - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
2 readingsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
  • Which User Stories and How Manyβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • User Stories in Technology Selectionβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we transform checklist requirements into probing How does questions, employing advanced questions and answers to uncover vendor differentiation, architecture implications, and integration or migration constraints.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Ask Questions That Really Matter - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Strategic Questioning for Technology Procurementβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we will explore structured market scanning, use varied research to spot overlooked vendors, and design separate request for proposal approaches for product suppliers versus services firms.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Find More Than the Usual Suspects - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
2 readingsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
  • Which Type of Supplier: Tech Vendor Versus Services Firm?β€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Smart Vendor and Partner Selection Strategiesβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we scan technology markets to build a long vendor list, then apply objective filters and scenario analysis to craft a focused shortlist that matches specific business needs.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • How to Target the Right Suppliers - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
2 readingsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
  • Use Scenario Analysis to Get to Short Listsβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Targeting the Right Technology Suppliersβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we will overview of choosing Requests for Information, Proposal, Quote and Demo; when to use each and how to time vendor outreach for insight without delay.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Find the Right Solicitation Vehicle - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
2 readingsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
  • Set a Realistic Scheduleβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Strategic Solicitation Vehicle Selectionβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we design structured RFPs by outlining objectives, crafting scenario-driven user stories, and standardising vendor questions and pricing tables, enabling consistent proposals and informed selection.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Create RFPs That Actually Work - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
2 readingsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
  • Real Story: An Example RFP Narrative User Storyβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • User Story-Based RFP Best Practicesβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we will learn to launch requests for proposal, add nondisclosure agreement safeguards, enforce clear deadlines, and study bidder behavior to select culturally aligned, reliable suppliers.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Keeping It Real with Bidders - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Managing Bidder Interactions in the RFP Processβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we build a weighted scoring matrix, integrate qualitative risk metrics, and execute a structured downselect, enabling objective proposal ranking and faster, lower-risk project decision making.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • How to Evaluate Proposals Critically - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Critical Evaluation of Supplier Proposalsβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we implement a user-centric demo framework, craft crisp agendas spotlighting key deliverables, and examine common pitfalls, applying safeguards that enhance stakeholder engagement and accelerate decision-making.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Hold Demos on Your Own Terms - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
2 readingsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
  • How to Run the Demo Sessionsβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Effective Vendor Demo Practicesβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we will implement a bake-off proof of concept, contrast serial and parallel trials, evaluate on-premise versus cloud options, and separate technical fit from vendor culture for confident platform selection.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Run Competitive Proofs of Concept - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Competitive Proof-of-Concept Best Practicesβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we demystify vendor pricing by pinpointing cost drivers and tying proposed fees to measurable business value. We then shape contracts limiting scope, liability, and risk.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Negotiate Like a Pro - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Enterprise Software Contract Negotiation Tacticsβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we construct a weighted decision matrix, review quantitative and qualitative criteria holistically, then craft an implementation roadmap to align resources and ensure post-selection success.

What's included

1 video1 reading1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Make the Right Final Selection - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Final Vendor Evaluation and Selection Strategiesβ€’10 minutes

In this section, we will explore how to vet external services firms for software as a service and enterprise projects, scope expertise, set budgets, and streamline procurement to speed your next cloud implementation.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Adapt This Process for Selecting Services Firms - Overview Videoβ€’1 minute
2 readingsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’10 minutes
  • How to Adapt Your Processβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Selecting and Contracting Services Firmsβ€’10 minutes

Instructor

Packt
1,926 Coursesβ€’558,431 learners

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Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can preview the first video and view the syllabus before you enroll. You must purchase the course to access content not included in the preview.

If you decide to enroll in the course before the session start date, you will have access to all of the lecture videos and readings for the course. You’ll be able to submit assignments once the session starts.

Once you enroll and your session begins, you will have access to all videos and other resources, including reading items and the course discussion forum. You’ll be able to view and submit practice assessments, and complete required graded assignments to earn a grade and a Course Certificate.

If you complete the course successfully, your electronic Course Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Course Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

This course is currently available only to learners who have paid or received financial aid, when available.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Financial aid available,