Quanta blog posts by Marcus White-Bower

For the uninitiated, ITIL can be a hard beast to tame. Emphasis on “can”. Well-versed ITIL masters know to consistently consult the 7 guiding principles of ITIL in any applicable circumstance. The recommendations from these principles support ITIL’s “adopt and adapt” approach. Guiding principles are best practice that can be applied by organisations in almost any service management initiative. We’ve compiled basic definitions and applications for each of the 7 guiding principles to encourage continual improvement within your organisation.

“What’s urgent is rarely important, what’s important is rarely urgent.” Organisation and using your time in the most effective way is the greatest struggle we face as humans. Take a minute to learn about how “eating the frog” and harnessing procrastination can make great changes to your productivity and efficiency!  

We know that our Leadership in Action (LIA) course is an experience that changes the way people perceive not only their roles, but themselves too. The team tasks involved will encourage a cycle of action, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation, provided by a powerful learning environment in which you receive individual attention from facilitators. Becoming a more effective leader is something that only you can achieve, but we can provide the very best tools for you to reach your potential with. 

The world is constantly evolving. Businesses are growing and declining at a more rapid pace than ever. So, if you’re standing still amongst this world then you are, in effect, moving backwards. Businesses with learning and development (L&D) at the core of their priorities and strategies are always going to outperform those who simply do not bother. It might be easy to excuse yourself from buying into training under the pretence of it being a concern for industry giants. The reality couldn’t be further from this. Success stories emanate from teams of all sizes!

The issue of cyber security is an important one, because once your system is compromised it can be hard to even recognise a breach – with the average SMB in the UK not finding breaches for 101 days in 2019. An adept intruder only needs hours network access to compromise large swathes of information should they bypass security measures, so consider what can be achieved in over one hundred days. This is why every business needs a management  that can identify and implement ideal cyber resilience frameworks.

Loopholes are great. They allow people to squirm out of certain situations on technicalities, but sadly the converse is also true - they allow people to get into things that they shouldn’t. Loopholes in IT networks are weaknesses that can be exploited by hackers. Just because you don’t know the weak point exists, doesn’t mean an attacker can’t find it. Read on to learn more about the heroes in shining white hats that protect our systems through ethical hacking!

Online security is an imperative for any business. You only have to look at the range of terrible outcomes for those targeted. From ethical hacking, to ransomware, to good ol’ fashioned IP theft – the digital landscape is too unpredictable to make any assumptions about your cyber wellbeing. There are precautions that you can take to recognise and avert potential cyber crises, but no one is without flaw and no system is impenetrable. Being aware of cyber weaknesses and the damage that these weaknesses leave you susceptible to will open your eyes to the value of cyber security improvements. Beware – there are some horror stories ahead.

Agile is a wonder, but it's also not a mindset that can be instantly engrained into your head with a cheat code. If you’re completely new to Agile as a concept, then suddenly jumping into an agile project will likely be completely bewildered. But Agile can provide an incredible uptake in efficiency and profitability for those who undertake the change, with a 27% increase projects reporting cost reduction in 2019. This is partly why we took it upon ourselves to compile a cheat sheet of our own, for those who are either new to Agile or are considering an Agile mindset for upcoming project or product development.

All good things must come to an end. Even the best of products cease to be relevant once a superior successor enters the market. Microsoft has sent out the message: Windows 7 will have reached the end of its lifespan on January 14th 2020. But don’t enter a period of mourning just yet, because for those not yet transitioned to Windows 10, there is an opportunity to develop your systems through adopting Windows 10.

Quanta Training has begun the transition to a more streamlined format for delivering courses.

Not many people serving in the MoD will stay in their position for their entire life – the majority will eventually return to civilian life once their service is up, or if negative circumstances force a premature exit from a position within the armed forces. This means the transition could be planned or forced upon the individual. Either way, planning for the challenges that any subsequent phases of employment may bring couldn’t be more important; and it can all be hugely simplified if you have the right guidance, as proven by former British Army member Michael Finley.

Ex-military forces rejoice! Due to an improved employment rate for those who have left the military (8 out of 10, higher than current UK employment rates), the future looks brighter than it has ever been before for those seeking work post-service. Sadly, barriers will always remain between industries for anyone without recognised training qualifications. So, regardless of rank or title – are you making the most of your ELC’s?

This has been a record-breaking year for the planet – in all the worst ways. More extreme weather reports than ever before, rising sea levels affecting entire communities, the highest global temperatures ever recorded, and unparalleled rates of species extinction. Change needs to happen. Urgently. Join Quanta Training in action!

Failing better? Gambling responsibly? We haven't gone mad, we're just using what Prince2 taught us. Learn to improve your projects continuously and to ensure risks don't hit you too hard.