1846: Microsoft Solutions Framework Essentials (3 Days)
About this Course
This three-day, instructor-led course provides an introduction to the Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF). These key elements include the MSF Team and Process models as well as the Risk Management, Project Management, and Readiness Management Disciplines. The course utilizes a combination of presentation lectures and hands-on activities.
Audience Profile
The primary audience for this course is IT project professionals who are responsible for planning, building, and deploying Microsoft solutions. These IT project professionals include Microsoft customers and partners, and Microsoft Consulting Services.
At Course Completion
After completing this course, students will be able to:
- Explain how an improved solution strategy can alleviate the challenges to delivering technology solutions.
- Describe how the MSF team model is used on an MSF project.
- Discuss the concept of MSF role clusters.
- Explain how MSF teams are scaled, depending on project size and complexity.
- Explain project management on MSF teams.
- Explain how the risk management discipline is applied to an MSF project.
- Explain the MSF envisioning phase.
- Explain how to ensure that the solution meets initial business goals and requirements.
- Describe how the team plans what to build.
- Explain the MSF developing phase.
- Explain the MSF stabilizing phase.
- Describe the tasks involved in testing and piloting a solution.
- Explain the MSF deploying phase.
- Describe the tasks involved in deploying to a production environment.
- Describe the tasks involved in completing a project.
Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to the Microsoft Solutions Framework
Lessons
- Discusses the characteristics of today's business environment that affect IT.
- Suggests some of the ways in which IT can help businesses meet its goals.
- Explains some of the factors that get in the way of successful IT projects.
- Describes where IT must direct its attention to make its projects more effective.
- Demonstrates how MSF meshes with the Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF).
Module 2: Building an MSF Team
This module:
- Discusses some of the typical problems with challenged or failing projects.
- Demonstrates how the basic goals for successful projects contain the remedies for common project failures.
- Explains how the MSF foundational principles guide the functioning of the team.
- Presents the MSF Team Model.
- Discusses role clusters and functional areas.
- Identifies ways to scale up teams.
- Introduces feature teams and function teams.
- Defines project management and its several areas of responsibility.
Lessons
- The MSF Team Model
- MSF Role Clusters
- Scaling Teams for Project Efficiency
- A Scalable Approach to Project Management
- Activity: Communicating in Teams
Module 3: Managing Project Risks
This module explains how the risk management discipline is applied to an MSF project and describes the six steps in the MSF risk management process.
Lessons
- Managing Risks Throughout the Project
- Taking Steps for Effective Risk Management
- Activity: Creating Risk Plans
- Activity: Identifying and Analyzing Risks
Module 4: Establishing Your Project Life Cycle
This module introduces the MSF process model. In addition, it explains how the MSF team model relates to the MSF process model.
Lessons
- MSF Process Model Basics
- Clarifying Responsibilities in Each Phase
Module 5: Starting Your Project
This module focuses on the envisioning phase, the first of the five process model phases.
Lessons
- The MSF Envisioning Phase
- Selecting and Preparing the Project Team
- Defining the Solution
- Scoping the Solution
- Establishing a Basis for Review and Change
- Activity: Drafting a Vision/Scope Document
Module 6: Planning Your Project
This module focuses on the planning phase, the second of the five process model phases.
Lessons
- The MSF Planning Phase
- Planning What to Build
- Planning How to Build
- Planning When Building
- Preparing the Environments
- Activity: Associating Work Items with Plans
Module 7: Developing Your Solution
This module focuses on the developing phase, the third of the five process model phases.
Lessons
- The MSF Developing Phase
- Testing the Solution
Module 8: Stabilizing Your Solution
This module focuses on the stabilizing phase, the fourth of the five process model phases.
Lessons
- The MSF Stabilizing Phase
- Testing and Piloting for Stabilization
Module 9: Deploying Your Solution
This module focuses on the deploying phase, the fifth of the five process model phases. This is the phase where the team executes a plan and gets the solution into production.
Lessons
- The MSF Deploying Phase
- Deploying to a Production Environment
- Completing Your Project
No prerequisites are in place for attending the course.