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Key Insights from the 2020 State of Agile Report

How are agile businesses changing in 2020?  Digital.ai, the creator of the industry’s first intelligent Value Stream, recently published its 14th Annual State of Agile Report, along with a survey addendum to reflect the current 2020 landscape. The report took a look into the enterprise, what Agile techniques companies are implementing, their benefits, and what’s trending. The report provides the most comprehensive data in the world to benchmark your Agile practice and plan your next wave of expansion. The survey documents the experiences of more than 1,100 business and IT professionals across a range of industries and roles worldwide.  About 40,000 Agile practitioners, consultants, and executives have shared their insights to make this the longest-running and largest report of its kind. For the first time, it revealed insights beyond the general results by filtering the results along the demographic lines. The analysis indicates a correlation between the time practicing Agile, the ability to manage the changing priorities, and improved time to market.  In this article, we give you the complete lowdown on the state of Agile in 2020 including the COVID-19 impact and what’s next in Agile. Agile in numbers Let us explore the top responsesto the survey in numbers. Respondents answered their top reasons for implementing Agile techniques, which techniquesand methodologies they employ the most, what tools they recommend most, and the top benefits of using Agile. Top five reasons for adopting AgileTop Five Reasons For Adopting AgileRespondents were asked why their teams adopted Agile methodologies and techniques. These were the most responded benefits:Accelerate software delivery (71 percent) Enhance the ability to manage changing priorities (63 percent) Increased productivity (51 percent) Improve business/IT alignment (47 percent) Enhance software quality (42 percent)  This year, the reasons for implementing Agile were more about reducing project risks as opposed to reducing project costs.Top five Agile techniques employedThese are the five most used tactics that help teams adhere to the twelve principles of Agile.Top Five Agile Techniques EmployedThe Daily Standup was the most common Agile technique used in organizations. The most notable changes from last year was a decrease in Release Planning (51 percent this year as opposed to 57 percent last year) and an increase in Product Road Mapping (49 percent this year as opposed to 45 percent last year). Top five benefits of adopting AgileTop five benefits of adopting AgileWe see that the top five benefits of adopting Agile are built around speed and adaptability. Project Cost Reduction was last on the list with only 26 percent of the respondents considering it to be the benefit of Agile implementation. Top five Agile methodologies Top five Agile methodologiesThe survey shows that Scrum and its variants are the most common methodologies used for Agile implementation. 3 percent of the respondents didn’t have any idea of the methodology used by their organization.  Top five Agile project management toolsTop recommended project management toolsRespondents were asked if they would recommend the tools on the basis of their experience. Atlassian JIRA and VersionOne were the most recommended tools. Five critical takeaways from the 2020 State of Agile Report Many organizations still learning to adopt Agilepercentage of teams using AgileThe survey showed that only 18 percent of the organizations implemented Agile for all the teams. 77 percent of the organizations had still not implemented Agile in all the company’s teams. With 5 percent of the organizations yet to adopt Agile, there is clearly plenty of area for growth. Agile maturityWhile 95 percent of organizations have some form of agile process in place, practice maturity and adoption remain a work in progress. Around 50 percent of respondents report that less than half of their teams are using agile, and 84 percent acknowledge that their organizations are below a high level of competencies.  Areas other than software development yet to take advantage of AgileAreas of organization practicing AgileAgile practices are not limited to software organizations. The survey data showed that while Software Development continues to be the major area for Agile adoption, other areas like IT and Operations have also started adopting the methodology. Other areas in the organization are yet to take advantage of everything the Agile approach has to offer. More business outcome KPIs, fewer metrics As per the respondents, accelerated delivery speed is the most critical measure of the success of Agile initiatives. Next is improved quality, followed by reduced risk and increased customer satisfaction. Reduced IT costs is low on the spectrum with just 39 percent considering it as important for measuring success.  How success is measured in Agile transformationsAgile success and metricsWhen asked how organizations measure success of Agile transformations, the top measures of success were consistent with those reported over the last few years. Outcomes, customer satisfaction and business value, ranked higher than outputs like on-time delivery and productivity. The survey results for this section remain consistent over the past few years. There might be some ups and downs. But overall, Customer Satisfaction and Business Value are at a higher rank than productivity and on-time delivery. How success is measured in individual Agile projectsHow Sucess is Measured in individual Agile projectAs with Agile transformations, business value delivered, and customer or user satisfaction remained the top two cited measures of success within for individual projects.  Scaling Agile faces culture challengesMethods and approaches of scaling AgileAbout one-third of respondents are applying the Scaled Agile Framework, roughly another third are using other scaling frameworks, and another third stated they didn't know/other. There appear to be several common challenges scaling agile as over 40 percent of respondents cited six different challenges/barriers with adopting and scaling agile practices. These included: resistance to change, lack of leadership participation, inconsistent processes, misaligned organization versus agile values, inadequate management support, and insufficient training.    Challenges experienced when adopting and scaling AgileEnterprises are adopting the framework at a remarkable rate that shows that companies want to get the benefits of a structured framework included in the Lean/Agile BoK of SAFe.  The lack of qualified professionals also remains one of the common challenges with insufficient leadership participation (46 percent) at number 2 and lack of experience or skills with Agile methods (41 percent) at number 6.  The report also shows that culture is at the primary target of change as it affects the thinking and working of the organization. Agile organizations slowly adopting DevOps DevOps practices are a strong partner to agile methodologies, and 69 percent of survey respondents stated that DevOps transformation was either important or very important to their organization. But adoption of DevOps practices lags its important with only 55 percent employing continuous integrations and 41 percent continuous delivery. Only 36 percent practice continuous deployment. The top two benefits targeted are accelerated delivery speed (70 percent) and improved quality (62 percent). But respondents are tackling quality first with 67 percent implementing unit testing and 58 percent coding standards, even higher engineering practices over the 55 percent on continuous integration.  More than half of the respondents reported that their organization was already implementing Value Stream Management (VSM) or have plans to do so. VSM is a combination of people, technology, and processes that maps, measures, optimized, visualized, and governs the business value flow using a heterogeneous enterprise delivery pipeline.  Each level of automation requires investment and additional work to prove its robustness. There are seven prerequisites before improving release frequencies, and that requires investment in aspects of these seven DevOps practices. Even so, there are questions DevOps teams should answer before increasing deployment frequency. Summary of key insights Currently, the Agile approach is predominantly implemented in the software or information technology sector. The benefits an organization can reap once Agile is implemented in other areas as well would be tremendous. Here is a quick summary of key insights from the report: Cost reduction is not anymore one of the primary reasons to adopt the Agile approach. Identifying technical risk before deployment is considered very valuable by 34 percent of the respondents, which was 22 percent last year. Greater Agile maturity is correlated to the time of practicing Agile. The length of time since Agile adoption is also related to the increased ability to manage the changing priorities and improved time market. Organizations that have practiced Agile for more than 5 years have a greater percentage of DevOps initiatives and interest in Value Stream Management.  Companies with 20,000 or more people are more likely to have been using Agile for 5 or more years. Companies with less than 1,000 people correlated to a higher percentage of all their teams implementing the Agile approach.  More than half of the respondents stated their companies are either implementing VSM or have plans to do so.  Risk and compliance increased by 54 percent to be the top value to identify and measure technical risk before the deployment begins. SAFe is the most popular scaling method, increasing 5 percent over the last year. There was a shift in Agile techniques as release planning decreased by 11 percent while product road-mapping increased by 9 percent. This change can be attributed to the increase in CI/CD and better program increment planning. Currently, Agile is mainly confined to software development, operations, and the IT sector. However, it is expected that by next year, the organization will expand agility into areas beyond developing, deploying, and maintaining software solutions. The COVID-19 impact and what’s next in Agile The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a health emergency worldwide. Leaders across industries are moving promptly to protect employees and build resilience, as the impact of the crisis continues to mount. In mid-May 2020, Digital.ai conducted a brief supplemental survey of respondents to learn more about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their Agile adoption. Supplemental findings reveal that: 55 percent say their company plans to increase the use of Agile in the next 12-14 months. This is an increase of 13 percent over the original survey completed just five months ago. 43 percent of organizations say their momentum for Agile adoption has increased over the past 90 days, with 15 percent saying it has increased significantly. 33 percent say they increased or expanded Agile adoption in the last 90 days to help manage distributed teams. In summary, forecasters continue to predict how long the COVID-19 crisis will last, but it seems inevitable that many organizations will be working remotely for the foreseeable future.Implemented correctly, an agile approach can help remote teams function effectively and build resilience for the future.  Following the pandemic, working from home more frequently (perhaps 2-3 days per week) may become an accepted norm for many companies, as this could realize cost efficiencies and prove that an agile, remote working model is productive.

Key Insights from the 2020 State of Agile Report

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Key Insights from the 2020 State of Agile Report



How are agile businesses changing in 2020?  Digital.ai, the creator of the industry’s first intelligent Value Stream, recently published its 14th Annual State of Agile Report, along with a survey addendum to reflect the current 2020 landscape. The report took a look into the enterprise, what Agile techniques companies are implementing, their benefits, and what’s trending. 

The report provides the most comprehensive data in the world to benchmark your Agile practice and plan your next wave of expansion. The survey documents the experiences of more than 1,100 business and IT professionals across a range of industries and roles worldwide.  

About 40,000 Agile practitioners, consultants, and executives have shared their insights to make this the longest-running and largest report of its kind. For the first time, it revealed insights beyond the general results by filtering the results along the demographic lines. The analysis indicates a correlation between the time practicing Agile, the ability to manage the changing priorities, and improved time to market.  

In this article, we give you the complete lowdown on the state of Agile in 2020 including the COVID-19 impact and what’s next in Agile. 

Agile in numbers 

Let us explore the top responsesto the survey in numbers. Respondents answered their top reasons for implementing Agile techniques, which techniquesand methodologies they employ the most, what tools they recommend most, and the top benefits of using Agile. 

Top five reasons for adopting Agile

Top five reasons for adopting AgileTop Five Reasons For Adopting Agile

Respondents were asked why their teams adopted Agile methodologies and techniques. These were the most responded benefits:

  • Accelerate software delivery (71 percent) 
  • Enhance the ability to manage changing priorities (63 percent) 
  • Increased productivity (51 percent) 
  • Improve business/IT alignment (47 percent) 
  • Enhance software quality (42 percent)  

This year, the reasons for implementing Agile were more about reducing project risks as opposed to reducing project costs.

Top five Agile techniques employed

These are the five most used tactics that help teams adhere to the twelve principles of Agile.

Top five Agile techniques employedTop Five Agile Techniques EmployedThe Daily Standup was the most common Agile technique used in organizations. The most notable changes from last year was a decrease in Release Planning (51 percent this year as opposed to 57 percent last year) and an increase in Product Road Mapping (49 percent this year as opposed to 45 percent last year). 

Top five benefits of adopting AgileTop five benefits of adopting Agile Top five benefits of adopting Agile

We see that the top five benefits of adopting Agile are built around speed and adaptability. Project Cost Reduction was last on the list with only 26 percent of the respondents considering it to be the benefit of Agile implementation. 

Top five Agile methodologies Top five Agile methodologies Top five Agile methodologiesThe survey shows that Scrum and its variants are the most common methodologies used for Agile implementation. 3 percent of the respondents didn’t have any idea of the methodology used by their organization.  

Top five Agile project management toolsTop recommended project management toolsTop recommended project management toolsRespondents were asked if they would recommend the tools on the basis of their experience. Atlassian JIRA and VersionOne were the most recommended tools. 

Five critical takeaways from the 2020 State of Agile Report 

Many organizations still learning to adopt Agilepercentage of teams using Agilepercentage of teams using AgileThe survey showed that only 18 percent of the organizations implemented Agile for all the teams. 77 percent of the organizations had still not implemented Agile in all the company’s teams. With 5 percent of the organizations yet to adopt Agile, there is clearly plenty of area for growth. 

Agile maturityAgile maturityWhile 95 percent of organizations have some form of agile process in place, practice maturity and adoption remain a work in progress. Around 50 percent of respondents report that less than half of their teams are using agile, and 84 percent acknowledge that their organizations are below a high level of competencies.  

Areas other than software development yet to take advantage of Agile

Areas of organization practicing AgileAreas of organization practicing AgileAgile practices are not limited to software organizations. The survey data showed that while Software Development continues to be the major area for Agile adoption, other areas like IT and Operations have also started adopting the methodology. Other areas in the organization are yet to take advantage of everything the Agile approach has to offer. 

More business outcome KPIs, fewer metrics 

As per the respondents, accelerated delivery speed is the most critical measure of the success of Agile initiatives. Next is improved quality, followed by reduced risk and increased customer satisfaction. Reduced IT costs is low on the spectrum with just 39 percent considering it as important for measuring success.  

How success is measured in Agile transformations

Agile success and metricsAgile success and metricsWhen asked how organizations measure success of Agile transformations, the top measures of success were consistent with those reported over the last few years. Outcomes, customer satisfaction and business value, ranked higher than outputs like on-time delivery and productivity. 

The survey results for this section remain consistent over the past few years. There might be some ups and downs. But overall, Customer Satisfaction and Business Value are at a higher rank than productivity and on-time delivery. 

How success is measured in individual Agile projects

How success is measured in individual Agile projectsHow Sucess is Measured in individual Agile projectAs with Agile transformations, business value delivered, and customer or user satisfaction remained the top two cited measures of success within for individual projects.  

Scaling Agile faces culture challenges

Methods and approaches of scaling AgileMethods and approaches of scaling AgileAbout one-third of respondents are applying the Scaled Agile Framework, roughly another third are using other scaling frameworks, and another third stated they didn't know/other. There appear to be several common challenges scaling agile as over 40 percent of respondents cited six different challenges/barriers with adopting and scaling agile practices. These included: resistance to change, lack of leadership participation, inconsistent processes, misaligned organization versus agile values, inadequate management support, and insufficient training.    

Challenges experienced when adopting and scaling AgileChallenges experienced when adopting and scaling AgileEnterprises are adopting the framework at a remarkable rate that shows that companies want to get the benefits of a structured framework included in the Lean/Agile BoK of SAFe.  

The lack of qualified professionals also remains one of the common challenges with insufficient leadership participation (46 percent) at number 2 and lack of experience or skills with Agile methods (41 percent) at number 6.  

The report also shows that culture is at the primary target of change as it affects the thinking and working of the organization. 

Agile organizations slowly adopting DevOps 

DevOps practices are a strong partner to agile methodologies, and 69 percent of survey respondents stated that DevOps transformation was either important or very important to their organization. But adoption of DevOps practices lags its important with only 55 percent employing continuous integrations and 41 percent continuous delivery. Only 36 percent practice continuous deployment. 

The top two benefits targeted are accelerated delivery speed (70 percent) and improved quality (62 percent). But respondents are tackling quality first with 67 percent implementing unit testing and 58 percent coding standards, even higher engineering practices over the 55 percent on continuous integration.  

More than half of the respondents reported that their organization was already implementing Value Stream Management (VSM) or have plans to do so. VSM is a combination of people, technology, and processes that maps, measures, optimized, visualized, and governs the business value flow using a heterogeneous enterprise delivery pipeline.  

Each level of automation requires investment and additional work to prove its robustness. There are seven prerequisites before improving release frequencies, and that requires investment in aspects of these seven DevOps practices. Even so, there are questions DevOps teams should answer before increasing deployment frequency. 

Summary of key insights 

Currently, the Agile approach is predominantly implemented in the software or information technology sector. The benefits an organization can reap once Agile is implemented in other areas as well would be tremendous. 

Here is a quick summary of key insights from the report: 

  • Cost reduction is not anymore one of the primary reasons to adopt the Agile approach. 
  • Identifying technical risk before deployment is considered very valuable by 34 percent of the respondents, which was 22 percent last year. 
  • Greater Agile maturity is correlated to the time of practicing Agile. The length of time since Agile adoption is also related to the increased ability to manage the changing priorities and improved time market. Organizations that have practiced Agile for more than 5 years have a greater percentage of DevOps initiatives and interest in Value Stream Management.  
  • Companies with 20,000 or more people are more likely to have been using Agile for 5 or more years. Companies with less than 1,000 people correlated to a higher percentage of all their teams implementing the Agile approach.  
  • More than half of the respondents stated their companies are either implementing VSM or have plans to do so.  
  • Risk and compliance increased by 54 percent to be the top value to identify and measure technical risk before the deployment begins. 
  • SAFe is the most popular scaling method, increasing 5 percent over the last year. 
  • There was a shift in Agile techniques as release planning decreased by 11 percent while product road-mapping increased by 9 percent. This change can be attributed to the increase in CI/CD and better program increment planning. 
  • Currently, Agile is mainly confined to software development, operations, and the IT sector. However, it is expected that by next year, the organization will expand agility into areas beyond developing, deploying, and maintaining software solutions. 

The COVID-19 impact and what’s next in Agile 

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a health emergency worldwide. Leaders across industries are moving promptly to protect employees and build resilience, as the impact of the crisis continues to mount. 

In mid-May 2020, Digital.ai conducted a brief supplemental survey of respondents to learn more about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their Agile adoption. Supplemental findings reveal that: 

  • 55 percent say their company plans to increase the use of Agile in the next 12-14 months. This is an increase of 13 percent over the original survey completed just five months ago. 
  • 43 percent of organizations say their momentum for Agile adoption has increased over the past 90 days, with 15 percent saying it has increased significantly. 
  • 33 percent say they increased or expanded Agile adoption in the last 90 days to help manage distributed teams. 

In summary, forecasters continue to predict how long the COVID-19 crisis will last, but it seems inevitable that many organizations will be working remotely for the foreseeable future.Implemented correctly, an agile approach can help remote teams function effectively and build resilience for the future.  

Following the pandemic, working from home more frequently (perhaps 2-3 days per week) may become an accepted norm for many companies, as this could realize cost efficiencies and prove that an agile, remote working model is productive.

KnowledgeHut

KnowledgeHut

Author

KnowledgeHut is an outcome-focused global ed-tech company. We help organizations and professionals unlock excellence through skills development. We offer training solutions under the people and process, data science, full-stack development, cybersecurity, future technologies and digital transformation verticals.
Website : https://www.knowledgehut.com

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They adopt the Lean and Agile values, principles, and practices that are relevant to their responsibilities and adjust their existing processes accordingly. The Agile Release Train (ART) is a long-lived team of Agile teams, which, accompanied by different stakeholders, incrementally develops, delivers, and where applicable operates one or more solutions in a value stream. ARTs comprise cross-functional teams and possess all the abilities—software, hardware, firmware, and others—needed to define, implement, test, deploy, release, and where applicable, operate solutions.ARTs operate on a set of common principles:  If a Feature misses a timed departure and is not planned in the current PI, it can be taken in the next one.  Each train delivers a new increment every two weeks.  Teams on the train are synchronized on the related PI of 8 – 12 weeks and have common Iteration start/end dates and duration.  Each ART estimates how much can be delivered in a PI.  Agile Teams welcome the ‘Agile Manifesto’ and SAFe® Core Values and Principles. They apply Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP), Kanban, etc Built-In Quality practices.  Most people in ART are committed full-time to the train. The ART plans work periodically mostly face-to-face PI Planning events.  An Inspect and Adapt event is held at the end of every PI.  Teams and management identify backlog items via a structured, problem-solving workshop.  ARTs apply flow and synchronization to better accomplish the internal variability of investigation and improvement.  NEW SAFE® IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP The Scaled Agile Framework for enterprises contributes integrated, well established scaling patterns that have benefited many organizations around the world to solve their business obstacles associated with speed, multiple teams' alignment, flexibility & quality, and improvement with successful Agile delivery.    The SAFe® Roadmap outlines the levels of the organization and implements SAFe® in an arranged, stable, and successful fashion. While adopting SAFe® would vary based on circumstances, the Implementation Roadmap offers insight into a fairly common implementation pattern. The roadmap has been developed by proven change management strategies and the experience of hundreds of global enterprises that have adopted SAFe®.   The SAFe® Implementation Roadmap includes 12 critical moves for the successful embracing of Lean-Agile principles and mindset and their applicability throughout the organization.WHAT ARE THE CHANGES FROM 4.5 TO 5.0  Below are the diverse levels in SAFe® 4.5 and SAFe® 5.0. SAFe®  5.0 Level  SAFe® 5.0 is the most advanced level that comes with an important update to the last version 4.5. It comes with two extra competencies i.e. Lean Enterprise and Business Agility. SAFe® 5.0 with extra two competencies also focuses on core competencies of SAFe® 4.5 that includes Technical and Team Agility, Release on Demand and DevOps, Lean Systems Engineering and Business Solutions, Lean Portfolio and Lean-Agile Leadership.  SAFe®  4.5 Level Four levels are incorporated in this SAFe® implementation-- they are Portfolio, Value Stream, Program, and Team. It is mainly used for resolutions that require several professionals to create, deploy, manage and maintain softwareWHAT DOES VERSION 5.0 IMPLY Scaled Agile Framework inspires realization within organizations that there is a need to transform development teams. They require to transform organization-wide in order to compete in today’s landscape. The focus has now whirled towards full business agility. In reference to SAFe® 5.0, Business Agility empowers organizations to capitalize on rising opportunities by allowing people to make quick settlements, designate money, and adjust the right people to work.  SAFe® confirms that a framework alone is not sufficient to achieve a successful transformation; the true difference makers are the talent i.e., leaders and teams of the organization. Globalization, fast-moving markets and the unprecedented pace of technological innovation provokes organizations to transform to survive. But their current business models, organizational hierarchy, and technology infrastructure often hold back organizations from transforming fast.  Important Highlights of SAFe® 5.0:  Focus on customer centricity and design thinking empowers the organization to recognize the problem and design the right solution.  New Measures and guidance help the organization circumscribe its current state of business agility and recognize tactical steps to enhance economic outcomes and reach its desired state.  Continuous Learning Culture competency provides a collection of values and practices that inspires everyone in the enterprise to continuously learn and innovate with mutual cooperation.  Organizational Agility helps teams optimize their enterprise processes, develop strategies with clear commitments and quickly accommodate to realize new opportunities.  SAFe® 5.0 allows teams to engage in delivering and supporting innovative business resolutions.  It organizes and helps enterprise regulate their development efforts around the full, end-to-end value flow. CONCLUSIONSAFe® 5.0 brings the significant modifications that were required for organizations to improve but also not lose core focus on customers. With business agility, organizations can now concentrate on generating value streams for their overall maturity and growth rather than focus on each department individually. The two new core competencies will empower the organizations to generate a learning culture to encourage continuous improvement in innovative solutions, performance, and growth and also modify or accommodate artifices according to the variation in market trends. Overall, it helps in bringing back the focus without losing it in the hierarchical structure of organizations.
What’s New in Leading SAFe® 5.0
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What’s New in Leading SAFe® 5.0

The global SAFe® summit, organized by Scaled Ag... Read More

Best Product Owner Certifications in 2021

The one person responsible for maximising the product value, representing the stakeholders, prioritizing the backlog, empowering the team, maintaining Agile and Scrum processes and defining the product vision—who is that one superstar on an Agile team who does all this? The Product Owner!Product Owner roles have seen a sharp rise in recent years. If you see yourself as a Product Owner, managing business and stakeholders, then it is prudent that you validate your skills with a Product Owner certification and set yourself up for career success.Product Owners with industry recognised credentials earn upwards of $105,845, significantly more than their peers who are not certified.Irrespective of whether you are a seasoned Product Owner or are just sinking your teeth into the world of Agile and Scrum, a credential in your toolkit will greatly enhance your career prospects. So, here’s a roundup of the most valued Product Owner certifications you can choose from and get ready for 2021.1. CSPO®2. A-CSPO®3. PSPO™4. PMI-ACP®5. SAFe® Product Owner Product Manager1. CSPOThe Certified Scrum Product Owner certification is an offering from Scrum Alliance. Among the most popular Product Owner certifications, this credential is a validation of your knowledge of Scrum, the scope of the Product Owner’s role and skill in maximizing value and the Scrum team’s work.CSPOs are in great demand across industries as they have the credibility to lead product development initiatives.Other benefits of the CSPO certification include:Training led by Scrum Alliance approved Certified Scrum Trainers® (CSTs)Get a 2-year membership with Scrum AllianceGain access to a number of local groups of Scrum users and social networksQualify for higher certifications such as the A-CSPO®Widen the scope of your career with the knowledge of popular Agile practices.Enhance your repertoire with in-demand Scrum skills and demonstrate your Scrum knowledge.Actively engage with the community of Agile practitioners dedicated to continuous Scrum practice and improvement.Create a better product by leading and implementing Scrum in the team.Define the product vision and direct team members to yield high value at the end.Ensure smooth communication between the stakeholders and team members.Earn higher salaries than your non-certified counterparts (USA: $105,845)Top companies hiring CSPO professionalsFidelity InvestmentsCapital One Financial CorpAmazon.comT-Mobile, IncAmerican ExpressSource: PayScaleWhere to take training for certificationThe training must be taken from a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) or Registered Education Provider (REP) or a Certified Agile Coach of Scrum Alliance.Who should take the training for CSPO certification?This course can be taken by:Project Managers Developers Product Owners Managers-Software development Architects-Software development Product Managers Software developers Software testers Team leads/Team members interested in learning ScrumWho is eligible for the CSPO certification?There are no eligibility requirements for the CSPO certification.Duration to get CSPO certifiedAll participants need to attend the 2-day in-person or 14 hours live online CSPO training from a CST, at the end of which they will receive their credential. Course/Training fee for CSPO certificationThe course fee depends on the training provider and differs from region to region.In India: INR 24999  U.S: USD 1295Canada: CAD 1495Exam fee for CSPO certification: No exam needs to be taken in order to earn the CSPO credential. Attending a 2-day/14-hour course is mandated to earn the credential.Renewal fee for CSPO certification: $100, every 2 years2. A-CSPO℠The Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner℠ (A-CSPO℠) credential is also offered by the Scrum Alliance, and as the name suggests is an advanced course to be pursued after gaining the CSPO. The A-CSPO validates your ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders and deliver business value. A-CSPO being an advanced level certification is much sought after by organizations who want to hire professionals with advanced Product Owner abilities.Other benefits of the A-CSPO certification include:Training by Scrum Alliance approved Certified Scrum Trainers® (CSTs)2-year membership with Scrum AllianceAccess to a number of local groups of Scrum users and social networksGain enhanced Agile Scrum implementation skillsSet yourself apart from others in the marketplaceAs a highly trained Agile professional, show advanced value to your employerEarn high salaries - 111033 USD (average)Top companies hiring A-CSPO professionalsSAP LabsSalesforceAdobeWikispeedOracleVisteonGEBBCMicrosoftBarclaysRobert BoschWhere to take training for A-CSPO certification?The training must be led by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) and delivered by a Registered Education Provider (REP) or a Certified Agile Coach of Scrum Alliance.Who should take the training for A-CSPO certification?Professionals in the following job roles can take this course:Project ManagersDevelopersProduct OwnersManagers-Software developmentArchitects-Software developmentProduct ManagersSoftware developersSoftware testersTeam leads/Team members interested in learning ScrumWho is eligible for the A-CSPO certification?The A-CSPO requires the following eligibility:At least 12 months of work experience specific to the role of Product Owner (within the past five years) and an active CSPO credentialDuration to get A-CSPO certified: All participants need to attend the 2-day in-person or 14 hours live online A-CSPO training from a CST, at the end of which they will receive their credential.Course fee for A-CSPO certificationThe course fee depends on the training provider and differs from region to region.In India: INR 41999U.S.: Will be updated shortlyCanada: Will be updated shortlyExam fee for A-CSPO certification: No exam needs to be taken in order to earn the A-CSPO credential. Attending a 2-day/14-hour course along with the required experience is mandated to earn the credential.Renewal fee for A-CSPO certification: $175, every 2 years3. PSPO™Professional Scrum Product Owner™ Level I (PSPO™) is a credential offered by the Scrum.org. While the certification does not require you to take a training, an assessment needs to be cleared in order to get certified. The PSPO is a reflection of your ability to maximise skills, enhance product value and use Agile perspectives to deliver successful products.The PSPO is highly regarded in the industry as it is a rigorous exam and is based on the objectives outlined in the Scrum Guide.   Other benefits of the PSPO certification include:Own the product visionMaximize your team’s ROIImprove business value and ROIMotivate and lead Agile teams and team membersValidate your commitment to continued excellence and qualityDemonstrate your proficiency in ScrumGrow your career in Scrum with confidence Ace your interviews and get noticed for promotions at your current jobCommand higher salaries than your non-certified peersBe part of a network of industry leaders and Agile professionalsGain a stepping stone for the advanced level Professional Scrum Product Owner™ II Certification (PSPO™ II)Get the PSPO I logo that you can use to identify your achievementGet your name listed on Scrum.orgEarn salaries in the range of $98,612Top companies hiring PSPO professionalsJ.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (JPMCC)Cisco Systems IncImproving EnterprisesUnitedHealth GroupBank of America Corp. (BOFA)Source: PayScaleWhere to take training for the PSPO certification: Take the training from Scrum.org’s Professional Training Network under the guidance of certified Professional Scrum Trainers (PSTs).Who should take the training for PSPO certification?This course can be taken by:Project ManagersDevelopersProduct OwnersManagers-Software developmentArchitects-Software developmentProduct ManagersSoftware developersSoftware testersTeam leads/Team members interested in learning ScrumLeadership Team Who is eligible for the PSPO certification?There are no eligibility requirements for the PSPO certification.Duration to get certified: If you opt for training, you will have to attend two days or 16 hours of PSPO™ I training under a Professional Scrum Trainer (PST). You will then receive a key to the PSPO™ I Assessment. Once you pass the Assessment, you are declared PSPO™ I certified and can download your certificate.Course fee for PSPO certificationThe course fee depends on the training provider and differs from region to region.In India: INR 25999  U.S.: USD 1299Canada: CAD 1499Exam fee for PSPO: $200 USD per attemptPSPO Exam DetailsExam Type: Closed book,Format: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer and True/FalseDifficulty: IntermediateLanguage: English onlyTime limit: 60 minutesNumber of Questions: 80Passing score: 85%Retake fee for PSPO Exam: $200 USD for each re-take attempt. Participants of Scrum.org classes get free retakes if they take and fail the assessment within a certain time frame. Renewal for PSPO certification: Your PSPO certification has a lifetime validity and does not require renewal4. PMI-ACP®The Project Management Institute (PMI)® a world-renowned body known for its flagship project management credentials, now offers professionals a chance to hone their agile skills with the PMI- Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® credential. Its mandatory requirement of real-world Agile expertise and a thorough knowledge of Agile practices, tools and techniques means that holders of the PMI-ACP are Agile experts in every sense of the word.The PMI-ACP has huge demand in Agile organizations as it gives holders a 360-degree view of Agile and adds huge value to the skill set of a product owner.Other benefits of the PMI-ACP certification include:Helps you qualify for Agile jobs with expertise in Agile methods like Scrum, FDD, Kanban, etc. which are in demand in the industryEquips you with knowledge of various Agile methodsMakes you marketable as it opens doors to many project development methodologiesGain soft skills to manage your role eloquently  Earn more than your non-certified peers ($109,556)Top companies hiring PMI-ACP professionalsBooz, Allen, and HamiltonAccentureInternational Business Machines (IBM) Corp.Usaa InsuranceAmazon.com IncSource: PayScaleWhere to take training for the PMI-ACP certification: The training must be taken from an Authorized Training Partner (ATP) of PMIWho should take the training for PMI-ACP certification?This course can be taken by:Project ManagersProject PlannersQuality Assurance StaffDevelopers/ProgrammersDesigners, TestersProject ControllersProduct OwnersScrum MastersScrum Team MembersWho is eligible for the PMI-ACP certification?The PMI-ACP requires the following eligibility:Secondary degree21 contact hours of training in agile practices12 months of general project experience within the last 5 years. A current PMP® or PgMP® will satisfy this requirement but is not required to apply for the PMI-ACP.8 months of agile project experience within the last 3 yearsDuration to get certified: Once you complete the required training you must take time out to vigorously prepare for the exam. You then need to set the date and give the 3-hour exam. Once you pass the exam you may refer to yourself as a certification holder although your certificate package can take six to eight weeks to arrive in the mail.Course fee for PMI-ACP certification:The course fee depends on the training provider and differs from region to region.In India: INR 25999  U.S.: USD 1299Canada: CAD 1499Exam fee for PMI-ACP: $435 (for members), $495 (for non-members)PMI-ACP Exam Details:Exam Type: Closed book Format: Multiple Choice Difficulty: Intermediate Time limit: 3 hours Number of Questions: 120 of which 20 are considered pre-test questions and do not affect the score. Passing score: 85%Renewal for PMI-ACP certification: To maintain your PMI-ACP, you must earn 30 professional development units (PDUs) in agile topics every three years.5. Certified SAFe® Product Owner / Product Manager (SAFe® POPM)If scaling Scrum is your forte, then this is the right credential for you. This credential, an offering from the Scaled Agile, Inc., validates your product owner skills in delivering value by applying the principles of Lean to ensure Agile success at the enterprise scale, improving the Agile Release Train and ensuring customer satisfaction while improving bottom line margins.Considering that the Scaled Agile Framework is widely used in Agile organizations, there is a huge demand for SAFe POPM certified professionals, who can deliver continuous value at the enterprise level.Other benefits of the SAFe POPM certification include:Master key SAFe® product ownership/product management concepts like Lean Agile principles and valuesCollaborate with Agile teams to deliver valueMaster Program Increment PlanningOne-year membership to the SAFe Community PlatformOpen yourself upto new opportunitiesSAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (SPOPM) salary ranges from $83,865 to $124,613Access to Meetup groups and events that connect you with other Certified SAFe ProfessionalsTop companies hiring SAFe POPM professionalsBoschLockheed MartinPepsiCoAnthemCiscoStandard CharteredCapitalOneThalesFitBit  AstraZenecaSource: PayScaleWhere to take training for the SAFe POPM certification: The training must be taken from an authorized training partner of Scaled Agile, Inc. Who should take the training for SAFe POPM certification?This course can be taken by:Program or Project ManagersScrum MastersRelease Train EngineersBusiness AnalystsAgile CoachesSAFe Program ConsultantsDevelopment ManagersCTOsConsultantsArchitectsEngineersDirectorsProduct ManagersProduct OwnersDelivery ManagersSolution Train EngineersSoftware DevelopersWho is eligible for the SAFe POPM certification?The SAFe POPM requires the following eligibility:Two-day training from an authorized training provider of Scaled Agile Inc. Experience in Lean and AgileDuration to get certified: Once you complete the mandatory 2-day training you can set a date to take the 1.5 hrs SAFe POPM exam. On passing the exam, you become a Certified SAFe® 5 Product Owner / Product Manager. You will receive your SAFe®️ 5 Product Owner / Product Manager PDF Certificate and Digital Badge within 5-7 working days.Course fee for SAFe POPM certificationThe course fee depends on the training provider and differs from region to region.In India: INR 55999  U.S.: USD 1099Canada: CAD 1395Exam fee for SAFe POPM: First exam attempt is included as part of the course registration fee if the exam is taken within 30 days of course completion.SAFe POPM Exam DetailsExam Type: Closed book Format: Multiple choice, multiple response Difficulty: Intermediate Time limit: 1.5 hours Number of Questions: 45 Passing score: POPM4 = 35 out of 45 (77%); POPM5 = 33 out of 45 (73%)Retake fee for SAFe POPM Exam: Each retake costs $50Renewal for SAFe POPM certification: SAFe POPM needs to be renewed each year by paying a $100 fee and earning a minimum of 10 continuing education/outreach hours (PDUs).SummaryProduct Owners are the rock stars of an Agile team—confident, articulate, sharp, great communicators and problem solvers! A solid Product Owner certification along with these qualities can give your career a total makeover and make you a team favourite. 
Best Product Owner Certifications in 2021
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Best Product Owner Certifications in 2021

The one person responsible for maximising the prod... Read More

Top Scrum Certifications of 2021

A question that plagues most entry-level or even mid-career Scrum professionals is: “is a Scrum credential really worth it?” The answer—it most definitely is! According to the Salary Survey of Scrum Professionals 2017-18 , even entry level professionals, with just one scrum certification, earn much more than their non-certified counterparts. Scrum certifications were also the most requested certifications in 2020 with the Certified ScrumMaster being most in demand, according to employment website Indeed.com. Employers are more than ever before, looking at hiring certified Scrum professionals, a fact validated by  Indeed.com’s survey, which places the CSM above the Project Management Professional (PMP)® credential in its list. So, you know how to future proof your career. Get a Scrum certification!  SourceHere’s a list of the top paying Scrum certifications that will help you in career progression, leverage this hiring demand in 2021-2022 and earn high salaries.CSMCSPOPSMA-CSMPSPOSAFe Scrum Master CertificationPMI-ACPScrum Master by Scrum Inc.™ CertificationCertified ScrumMaster® (CSM®)  This entry-level Scrum credential from Scrum Alliance, is a great starting point for professionals who want to gain an understanding of Scrum team roles and responsibilities, Scrum events and Scrum artifacts.CSM Demand: CSM, was the 9th most-requested certification this year in the Indeed.com survey. With an average salary of approximately $120K per annum and 24% expected job growth rate in the next 3 years, CSM is indeed the gold standard for Scrum certifications.   Source: Certified Scrum Master (CSM) Schools & Reviews | Indeed.com Benefits Of CSM Gain a high degree of proficiency in executing Scrum. Become an Agile change agent Be a servant leader. Create a highly motivated and high performing team. Open yourself to new opportunities. Earn high salaries. Average salary USD 118,353 Gets you a 2-year membership with Scrum AllianceTop industries hiring CSM professionals Retail E-commerce Energy & Utilities Financial Services such as Insurance and Investments Cos Advertising Marketing Government Institutions. Some of the top companies hiring CSMs include:  IBM Tata Consultancy Services CapGemini Honeywell BOSCH Accenture Deloitte Where to take training for certification: Aspirants must attend a course taught by a Global Registered Education Provider (REP) of Scrum Alliance or by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST®). KnowledgeHut is a Global Registered Education Provider (REP) of Scrum Alliance. Eligibility for CSM exam: Attending an in-person two day (16 hours) or live online (14 hours) Certified ScrumMaster® course taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST®) is required, to be eligible for the exam. Who should take the CSM training for certification: Software Engineers Product Managers Project Managers Team Leaders Business Analysts Product Managers Software Developers Product Owners Software Development Managers Software Architects Software Testers Team Leads QA Managers Development team members Testers Anyone who would like to build a career as a Scrum Master Duration to get certified: Attending a 14-hour live online or 16 hour in-person course is mandatory for appearing for the exam. Once you complete the course, you should reserve some time for ensuring a thorough preparation before attempting the exam. If you successfully pass the exam, you will get your results immediately and you are a qualified CSM. The total duration in order to get CSM certified, including course, study time and exam should take you around a couple of weeks. Course fee for certification: Rs. 23,999/- in India, $ 1295 in the US Application fee for certification: NA Exam fee for certification: Included in course fee Exam Format: Online test comprising of 50 multiple choice questions. Duration: 1-hour Pass mark: 74%  Retake fee for certification: The second attempt is free if you attempt the exam within 60 days of course completion. The retake costs $25 after first two attempts.Certified Scrum Product Owner®(CSPO®) Another offering from Scrum Alliance, this credential is for professionals who want to cement their career as Product Owners and want to validate their expertise on Scrum terminology, practices, and principles. CSPO Demand: Product Owners have been recognised for their innumerable contribution to Scrum teams and their role as a bridge between business and development. With 90% modern teams using Scrum for product development, the Product Owner’s role as an intermediary who maximises value and motivates teams, is not lost on recruiters. Which is why the demand for product owner keeps rising and each day hundreds of open positions for product owner roles are added.  Benefits Of CSPO Enhance your knowledge of Agile practices Maximise value and enhance stakeholder satisfaction Grow your network and speak a global product owner language Get a 2-year membership with Scrum Alliance Earn lucrative salaries CSPO salary: $105,845.Top industries hiring CSPO professionals IT Telecom Healthcare Financial Manufacturing Education Some of the top companies hiring CSPOs include: Gartner Intel Dell Bosch PayPal Mastercard Axis Bank SAP IBM Where to take training for certification: Aspirants must attend a course taught by a Global Registered Education Provider (REP) of Scrum Alliance or by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST®). KnowledgeHut is a Global Registered Education Provider (REP) of Scrum Alliance. Eligibility for CSPO exam: There is no exam. Aspirants need to successfully complete a 14 hour live online or 16 hours of in-person training with a CST, or 25 hours of face-to-face interaction with a Certified Agile Coach to be certified as CSPO.  Who should take the training for CSPO certification Project Managers Developers Product Owners Managers-Software development Architects-Software development Product Managers Software developers Software testers Team leads/Team members interested in learning Scrum Duration to get certified: 14 hours or 16 hours or 25 hours, depending on the mode of training you choose.Course fee for certification: Training cost: INR 24999 in India, USD 1295 in US and CAD 1495 in Canada Professional Scrum MasterTM (PSMTM):   The Professional Scrum Master™ I is an offering from Scrum.org, a global organization founded by Scrum co-creator, Ken Schwaber. This credential with its high standards of training and exhaustive assessment, ensures that holders have mastery over the Scrum framework.  PSM Demand: According to the 2019 Scrum Master trends by Scrum.org, PSM I was among the top three certifications among survey participants. Scrum is by far the most commonly used agile framework and its popularity is not going to diminish any time soon.  PSM I is lucrative and career defining. Benefits Of PSM Lead a team of Scrum specialists who bring the benefits of Scrum to projects. Perform the responsibilities of a servant leader Resolve conflicts and tackle challenges to deliver the best at the end of every Sprint. Address organizational challenges in using Scrum effectively Display a high level of Scrum expertise Earn high salaries; upto USD 93,570 on average annuallyTop industries hiring PSM professionals Retail E-commerce Energy & Utilities Financial Services such as Insurance and Investments Cos Advertising Marketing Government Institutions. Some of the top companies that hire PSMs J.P. Morgan Chas & Co Capgemini IBM Sogeti USA LLC Northrop Grumman CorporationWhere to take training for certification: Aspirants must train under PSTs or from a Professional Training Network (PTN) member of Scrum.org. You can attend a face-to-face course taught by Professional Scrum Trainer (PSTs), a private coaching or complete 16 hours of live online training with a PST. KnowledgeHut is a Professional Training Network (PTN) member of Scrum.org. Eligibility for PSM exam: There is no eligibility criteria for appearing for the exam. But aspirants must possess a high level of Scrum knowledge.  Who should take the training for PSM certification Project Managers Scrum Masters Scrum team members Developers Product Owners Software development managers Software Architects Product Managers Software Developers Software Coders Software Testers Team Leads/Team Members Duration to get certified: Passing the assessment is mandatory to gain the certificate. Considering that the assessment is difficult, Scrum.org suggests a thorough preparation that includes attending a course, reading the Scrum Guide and other resources. In all, it may take you 20 hrs including course and study time to get PSM certified. Course fee for certification: USD 1299 Exam format:  80 multiple choice questions and True/False questions Duration: 1 hour Pass mark: 85%   Application fee for certification : NA Exam fee for certification: $150 USD per attempt Retake fee for certification:  Two attempts are permitted within 14 days after you receive your key, at no additional cost.Advanced Certified ScrumMaster℠ (A-CSM℠) This is the advanced level credential after the CSM and is offered by the Scrum Alliance. If you want to continue on your agile journey and show your commitment to continued excellence, then this is the right credential for you.   A-CSM Demand: The A-CSM helps you showcase your advanced Scrum implementation skills, and ability to facilitate better dialogue between the Scrum team and stakeholders. These advanced Scrum Master skills are in high demand across Fortune 500 companies, who are ready to pay high salaries for such skills.  Benefits Of A-CSM Enable high performance teams Lead and facilitate change Resolve impediments Manage multiple teams Earn high salaries upto $115K per year Top industries hiring A-CSM professionals Retail E-commerce Energy & Utilities Financial Services such as Insurance and Investments Cos Advertising Marketing Government Institutions Telecom Infrastructure Entertainment Some of the top companies hiring A-CSMs Google Walt Disney LinkedIn Roche BBC GE Adobe Microsoft Spotify eBay Twitter IBM Capgemini Accenture Deloitte Hewlett Packard BAE Systems Lockheed Martin ExxonMobil Verizon Walmart Dow Jones  Tesla  Where to take training for certification: Aspirants must attend a training offered by a Global Registered Education Provider (REP) of Scrum Alliance. Eligibility for A-CSM exam  Hold a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification with the Scrum Alliance.  Attend a certified A-CSM educational offering to gain techniques and skills that go beyond the basics and mechanics of Scrum, expanding into interaction, facilitation, coaching, and team dynamics. Successfully complete all educator-designed components of an approved educational offering. This may include pre- or post-course work as deemed necessary by your approved educator to complete the learning objectives. Accept the A-CSM License Agreement and complete your Scrum Alliance membership profile. Validate at least 12 months of work experience specific to the role of Scrum Master (within the past five years).  Who should take the training for certification Scrum Masters Team Leads Development Managers Delivery Managers Project Managers Agile Coaches Duration to get certified: Once you have satisfied all the eligibility requirements mandated by Scrum Alliance including a minimum of 12 months of Scrum Master experience (within the past five years), you need to attend the 2-day A-CSM℠ course from a Global Registered Education Provider of Scrum Alliance post which you will get your A-CSM credential. KnowledgeHut is a Global Registered Education Provider (REP) of Scrum Alliance. Course fee for certification: USD  775  Application fee for certification: NA Exam fee for certification: There is no exam for A-CSM Retake fee for certification: NAProfessional Scrum Product Owner™(PSPO) PSPO stands for Professional Scrum Product Owner, a course and certification offered by Scrum.org. This credential helps you develop a solid understanding of the Product Owner responsibilities and maximize value of software products and systems. PSPO Demand:  Product Owner roles are the jobs of the future. Listed by LinkedIn and the World Economic Forum (Jobs of Tomorrow Report 2020) as being among the top emerging job trends, product owner roles are here to stay.  Benefits Of PSPO Own the product vision and maximize your team’s ROI Improve business value Motivate and lead Agile teams Demonstrate your proficiency in Scrum Grow your career in Scrum with confidence  Open yourself up to new opportunities Earn handsome salaries. Certified Product Owners earn $105,399, average salary, much higher compared to non-certified Product Owners Top industries hiring PSPO professionals Telecom Oil & gas Finance Government Healthcare Entertainment and more Some of the top companies hiring PSPOs include: Spotify Twitter Tesla Lockheed Martin Walmart Dow Jones ExxonMobil Where to take training for certification: Aspirants must take their training from a Professional Training Network (PTN) member of Scrum.org. KnowledgeHut is a Scrum.org™ Professional Training Network (PTN) member. Eligibility for PSPO exam: No eligibility requirements. Participants must possess high knowledge of Scrum.  Who should take the training for certification Project Managers Developers Product Owners Managers-Software development Architects-Software development Product Managers Software developers Software testers Team leads/Team members interested in learning Scrum Leadership Team  Duration to get certified: 2 days training plus additional study hours before attempting the exam.  Course fee for certification: USD 999 Application fee for certification: NA  Exam fee for certification: $200 USD Exam Format: 80 multiple choice questions and True/False questions Duration: 1 hour Pass mark: 85% Difficulty Level: Intermediate  Retake fee for certification: You are allowed two attempts within 14 days after you receive your assessment key from Scrum.org at no additional cost.SAFe® Scrum Master Certification The SAFe Scrum Master certification certifies an individual as being capable of performing scrum master responsibilities in a scaled agile environment. SSM certified individuals can lead Agile Scrum transformations, create high performing teams and ensure implementation of Scrum practices in the organization.  SSM Demand:  According to the 13th State of Agile Survey Report (2019), the Scaled Agile Framework is the most popular scaling method. With more and more organizations discovering the benefits of scaling agile and harnessing its potential on an enterprise-wide scale, the demand for hiring SAFe certified professionals has increased tremendously.   Benefits Of SSM Perform the responsibilities of a servant leader Successfully carry out Program Increment planning Facilitate Iteration execution Manage the Program Increment Coach a successful Agile team that is highly motivated and high performing Get the Certified SAFe Scrum Master Certificate (PDF format)  Get the Certified SAFe Scrum Master Digital Badge  One-year membership to the SAFe Community Platform Access to SAFe events and MeetUp Groups   Get access to various SAFe learning resources Open yourself to lucrative opportunities and high salaries—as high as $80,000 to $1,10,000 annually Top industries hiring SSM professionals Finance IT Service Industry FMCG Retail Insurance Banks  Some of the top companies hiring SSMs Cisco LEGO digital solutions Barclays Panera Bread Ericsson FitBit Where to take training for certification: Aspirants must attend a training facilitated by an authorized training partner of Scaled Agile.  KnowledgeHut is a Silver Training Partner of Scaled Agile.  Eligibility for SSM exam:  Experience working in a Lean-Agile environment and attending a two-day training delivered by a SAFe Program Consultant (SPC).  Who should take the training for certification Program or Project Manager Scrum Master Team Lead Release Train Engineer Business Analyst Agile Coach Portfolio Manager Consultant Architect Engineer Developer Director Quality Manager Product Manager Product Owner Delivery Manager Program Manager  Duration to get certified:  2-day training followed by study time. On passing the 90 minute SSM exam you will be a Certified SAFe 5 Scrum Master. You will receive your SAFe 5 Scrum Master PDF Certificate and Digital Badge within 5-7 working days.  Course fee for certification: Rs 55999, Cost in the U.S.: USD 1099  Exam format:  Exam type – Multiple choice; Multiple select Exam delivery – Web-based (single-browser), closed book Exam duration – 1.5 hours Number of questions – 45 Passing score – SSM 4 = 33 out of 45 (73%); SSM 5.0 =33 out of 45 (73%) Exam score for SSM 5.0 has been updated effective Feb 28 8pm MST. SSM 5.0 passing score prior to February 28 was 34 out of 45 (75%). Language – English Application fee for certification: NA Exam fee for certification: First exam attempt is included as part of the course registration fee if the exam is taken within 30 days of course completion. Retake fee for certification: $50 for each retake attempt PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®:  The PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner, as the name suggests, is an offering of the world-renowned Project Management Institute.  This certification places rigorous standards on participants which is why it is highly acknowledged world over. Holders get a holistic view of carrying out project management practices in Agile environments.  PMI-ACP Demand:  According to a survey in SwarmOS, Agile adoption has helped 98% of organizations in reducing costs, enhancing bottom line margins and deliver successful products. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption rate of Agile and what these Agile organizations need are project managers who understand Agile in a variety of situations and are able to effectively steer projects by applying project management best practices. PMI-ACP professionals are therefore highly sought after by recruiters and organizations.  Benefits Of PMI-ACP Leverage the demand for Agile project managers by getting PMI-ACP certified Show your expertise in a variety of Agile methods like Scrum, FDD, Kanban, and more Make yourself more marketable  Earn lucrative salaries :  $108,000 on an average  Top industries hiring PMI-ACP professionals Aerospace Engineering Manufacturing Construction Pharma Banking Some top companies hiring PMI-ACPs Boeing Booz Allen Hamilton Visa American Express AT&T Wipro Where to take training for certification:  Aspirants must train from an Authorized Training Partner (ATP) of PMI. KnowledgeHut is a Premier Authorized Training Partner (ATP) of PMI.  Eligibility for PMI-ACP exam: General Project Experience 2000 hours of working on project teams within the last 5 years or having an active PMP®/PgMP® credential Agile Project Experience 1500 hours of working on Agile Project Teams or with Agile Methodologies, in addition to “General Project Experience” above; Training in Agile Practices 21 contact hours earned in Agile Practices Who should take the training for PMI-ACP certification Project Managers Project Planners Quality Assurance Staff Developers/Programmers Designers, Testers Project Controllers Product Owners Scrum Masters Scrum Team MembersDuration to get certified: Attending a training workshop of 3 days followed by intense exam preparation that can be from 100-150 hrs in duration is a conservative time to prepare for the PMI-ACP credential. Once you successfully pass the exam, you will be PM-ACP certified.  Course fee for certification: INR 10999, USD 1099 Exam Format:  120 MCQs, each question will have four choices Duration: 3 hours Application fee for certification : For PMI membership: USD $ 129 plus USD $10 for application fee. Exam fee for certification: $435 for PMI members, $495 for non-members Retake fee for certification: $335 for PMI members and $395 for non-members. Scrum Master by Scrum Inc.™ Certification This highly regarded and recognised credential is offered by Scrum.Inc. This is the Scrum training developed and promoted by Jeff Sutherland, the co-creator of Scrum, and helps participants implement Scrum practices to bring about innovation, value and project success. Scrum Master by Scrum Inc.™ Certification Demand: Considering that this certification has an agenda backed by the co-founder of Scrum, its demand in the industry is significant. The ability of certified professionals to create self-organized, high value and motivated teams is much appreciated by organizations. This has created a huge surplus of demand for Scrum professionals and this credential will put you in the market for these top roles.  Benefits of Scrum Master by Scrum Inc.™ Certification Deliver high quality products and reduce costs Scale Scrum and enjoy enterprise-wide advantages Lead high performing teams Deliver products fast Earn high salaries: USD $97319  Scrum Master Certification – Getting Started & Comparison Guide 2021 (knowledgehut.com) Top industries hiring Scrum Master by Scrum Inc.™ professionals Financial Services Construction Engineering Pharma Data Analytics Education Tourism Government Agencies Some top companies hiring Scrum Master by Scrum Inc. Certified professionals Lockheed Martin PepsiCo Anthem Cisco Standard Chartered CapitalOne Thales FitBit Where to take training for certification: Aspirants must take the course from an authorized training provider of Scrum Inc.™. Eligibility for Scrum Master by Scrum Inc.™ exam: Attending a 16-hour Scrum Master course from an ATP of Scrum Inc™ is mandatory for taking the exam. Who should take the training (roles) for certification: Project Managers Scrum Masters Scrum Team Developers Product Owners Software Managers Software Architects Product Managers Testers Team Leads SAFe® practitioners interested in Scrum@Scale PMPs, PMI-ACP Team Leaders Professionals interested in Agile and Scrum methodologies Professionals who wish to explore how Scrum delivers twice the value at half the cost Duration to get certified: You need to attend a 16-hour course and spend some time for exam preparation. Once you take the exam and clear it, you will be Scrum Master certified.  Course fee for certification: $1995  Exam fee for certification: Included in training cost Summary: LinkedIn’s “Most promising jobs of 2017,” states that job openings for Scrum Masters grew 104 percent year-over-year from 2016, with a career advancement score of 8 out of 10; while Scrum Master was listed in the top 10 emerging Product Development jobs list by the World Economic Forum. Not just the number of jobs, but there is also steady increase in the base salary earned by Scrum certified professionals, and this increase based on the number of certifications that one holds.  So, more the number of certifications you add to your resume, the higher your salary goes. At the outset of 2021, there are still thousands of job openings for Scrum professionals. Equip yourself with one or more of these highest paying Scrum certifications and bring value to yourself and your organization.
Top Scrum Certifications of 2021
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Top Scrum Certifications of 2021

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