Category: Agile

Agile Scrum versus Kanban

Agile Scrum versus Kanban
Agile Scrum versus Kanban

Agile Story Points for Relative Size not Elapsed Time

Story Points for Relative Size not Elapsed Time Agile
Story Points for Relative Size not Elapsed Time

BA Essentials, Requirement vs User Story vs Acceptance Criteria vs Business Rule

BA Essentials, Requirement vs User Story vs Acceptance Criteria vs Business Rule

Mark Whitfield | Online Curriculum Vitae | CV

Mark Whitfield

Senior IT Project Manager & Engagement Manager
📍 Greater Manchester (Wigan), United Kingdom | ✉️ contact Mark Whitfield | 🌐 PROject Templates Official Website | 🔗 Mark Whitfield LinkedIn Profile

📑 Executive Summary

Highly accomplished, SC-cleared (active until 2031) Senior IT Project Manager and Engagement Manager with over 35 years of comprehensive expertise navigating the full Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). Proven track record of delivering multi-million-pound digital transformations, cross-functional hybrid cloud migrations, and complex API-led integration architectures across both public sectors and high-profile blue-chip enterprises.

Transitioned from deep technical engineering on critical legacy systems (HPE NonStop/ Tandem mainframes) to leading modern agile frameworks, large-scale infrastructure overhauls, and secure government initiatives. Exceptional stakeholder alignment capabilities bridging technical engineers, offshore delivery networks, and C-suite executives. Recognized industry thought leader and author of PROject Templates, an enterprise-grade PM repository used globally.

🛠️ Core Expertise & Methodologies

  • 🔄 Delivery Frameworks: Agile SCRUM, Waterfall, Hybrid, Prince2 7th Edition, Kanban, Lean, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
  • ☁️ Cloud & Middleware: Hybrid Cloud Migrations, Microsoft Azure, AWS, MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, Salesforce, Power Platform
  • 🏦 Domain Portfolio: Banking & FinTech, Defence & Public Sector, Automotive, Aerospace, Logistics, Regulated Gambling & Casinos
  • ⚙️ Legacy Systems & Architecture: HPE NonStop (Tandem) Mainframes, BASE24, XPNET, PATHWAY, Real-Time Log Extraction (RTLX) monitoring
  • 💻 Languages & Protocols (Technical Background): C, C++, COBOL85, TAL, NonStop SQL, Java, ASP.NET, API Gateway Architectures
  • 🛡️ Governance & Compliance: UK Security Check (SC Clearance to 2031), ISO QA Directives, GDPR Compliance, RAID/RACI Logs, Plan on a Page (POAP) strategies

💼 Professional Experience

🏢 Capgemini UK

Senior Engagement Manager / Technical Delivery Lead
2016 – Present

  • 🚀 Spearheaded complex enterprise-scale client accounts, overseeing digital transformations, cloud modernization strategies, and critical data migration streams.
  • 🏛️ UK Government (MS Azure Cloud Deployment): Functioned as client-side Technical Delivery Manager managing the end-to-end implementation of the £1M+ Fish Export Service (FES) to Common Entry Health Document Inspection Portal (CHIP) hosted securely in Northern Ireland.
  • 🔄 MuleSoft (Salesforce Company Synergy): Augmented into MuleSoft as an expert Delivery Manager leading global teams on enterprise API deployments utilizing the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform.
  • ☁️ Hybrid Cloud Transformations: Engineered structural migrations mapping on-premise infrastructure out to Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and custom automated Microsoft Power Platform integrations.
  • 🚗 Automotive Sector Innovations: Spearheaded digital deliveries valued over £430k for key manufacturing entities including Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).
  • 🤝 Directed vast onshore and offshore resource rings (including dedicated engineering teams based in India), meeting stringent ISO quality criteria.

🏢 Betfred

Agile Senior Project Manager
2014 – 2016

  • 🎰 Spearheaded highly agile developments across mobile and online gambling portfolios, coordinating launches across iOS, Android, and Windows systems.
  • 💳 Controlled the overhaul of high-throughput payment gateways, virtual computer-generated gaming platforms, and real-time sportsbook frameworks.
  • 🏃‍♂️ Acted as Lead Scrum Master, embedding continuous deployment loops and cross-functional product alignments.

🏢 Wincor Nixdorf

Agile Project Manager
2013 – 2014

  • 🏧 Championed large retail banking programs across the UK, successfully managing the replacement of legacy automated teller machine (ATM) systems with modern transaction architectures.
  • 🏅 Nominated for corporate delivery recognition awards due to high customer onboarding speeds and system reliability metrics.

🏢 Insider Technologies Ltd

Principal Consultant / Product & Project Manager
1995 – 2013

  • ⚙️ Directed product engineering, middleware deployments, and tracking modules specializing in high-availability HPE NonStop banking structures.
  • 🌍 Al Rajhi Bank (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia): Led the international deployment of the Real-Time Log Extraction (RTLX) Reactor Suite, integrating legacy mainframes with modern data warehousing layers.
  • 🖊️ Published a definitive architectural guide in The Connection Journal, breaking down logical data extraction, legacy bridging, and real-time system alert parsing.

🏢 The Software Partnership / Deluxe Data International

Senior Software Engineer / Programmer
1990 – 1995

  • 💻 Commenced technical career engineering robust software systems using COBOL85, TAL, and NonStop SQL.
  • 🏦 Crafted foundational sp/ARCHITECT electronic banking software systems for prominent international banks including TSB, Bank of Scotland, and Rabobank.

🌐 Major Enterprise Client Engagements (Cross-Career Portfolio)

Delivered critical solutions, infrastructure components, or delivery management across the following world-class organisations:

  • 🏦 Banking & FinTech: Bank of England, Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group (LTSB), Standard Chartered, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Euroclear (Crestco).
  • ✈️ Aerospace, Transport & Utilities: NATS (National Air Traffic Services), Heathrow Airport, Royal Mail Group (RMG), Welsh Water.
  • 🏛️ Governance: UK Export Finance (UKEF), Local Regional Government (LRG) clusters.

🎓 Education & Professional Certifications

  • 🎓 Higher National Diploma (HND) in Computing Science (With Distinction) | University of Bolton Archive / Leigh College.
  • 🛡️ Active UK Government Security Clearance (SC Cleared) | Valid through 2031 for restricted public, identity, and defence assignments.
  • 📜 Registered PRINCE2 Practitioner | Certified in structural project, risk, and framework governance (aligned with PRINCE2 7th Edition).
  • 📜 Certified Agile Scrum Master / Delivery Lead | Professional validation in iterative development cycles.
  • 📜 ITIL Framework Certification | Service strategy, operational readiness, and technology alignment.

🚀 Public Contributions & Industry Toolkits

Founder & Principal Editor of PROject Templates

  • Conceived, designed, and launched a commercial platform boasting more than 200 customisable, enterprise-ready project management components.
  • Author of elite diagnostic modules, including Plan on a Page (POAP) blueprints, RAID/RACI matrices, statement of work (SOW) frameworks, and predictive financial trackers.
  • The full catalog is available directly on the official shop or via the PROject Templates Etsy Portal.

Mark Whitfield – IT Project Manager Overview

Mark Whitfield is an SC-cleared Senior IT Project Manager and Engagement Manager based in Wigan near Manchester, UK, with over 35 years of experience across the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). He is currently employed at Capgemini UK (2016–present) and formally augmented into MuleSoft (a Salesforce company) as a Delivery Manager.

Mark Whitfield Senior IT Project Manager Agile, PRINCE2 and Waterfall
Mark Whitfield | Senior IT Project Manager | Agile, PRINCE2 and Waterfall

He is also widely known as the founder and author of PROject Templates, a popular resource platform featuring over 200 tailored, editable Microsoft Office templates for project delivery.

Career Timeline & Milestones

  • 1990–1995: Began his career as a systems programmer at The Software Partnership / Deluxe Data, developing electronic banking code for international banks on Tandem Computers.
  • 1995–2013: Spent 18 years as a Product and Project Manager at Insider Technologies Ltd.
  • 2013–2016: Handled Agile PM roles at Wincor Nixdorf and Betfred, managing digital sportsbook transformations.
  • 2016–Present: Joined Capgemini UK as an Engagement and Delivery Manager.
  • Recent Deliveries (2020–2026): Spearheaded a multi-million-pound Public Sector Enterprise Application Estate Migration, managed the UK Government CHIP Framework under strict active Security Check (SC) protocols, and stepped into his active position at MuleSoft overseeing the Anypoint Platform portfolio.

Core Expertise & Delivery Frameworks

  • Methodologies: Expert across hybrid delivery models, blending rigid structure with flexibility using Waterfall, PRINCE2 7th Edition, Agile Scrum, Kanban, and Lean frameworks.
  • Technical DNA: Deep enterprise systems engineering background covering HPE NonStop (Tandem) mainframes, C/C++, COBOL, NonStop SQL, BASE24, cloud migrations, and API-led system integrations.
  • PM Toolkits: Created an extensive open repository containing RAID logs, Gantt charts, Plan on a Page (POaP) layouts, RACI matrices, and financial trackers used by thousands of digital project leaders worldwide.

Mark Whitfield, Globally published HPE NonStop journal – ‘The Connection’, 2013

A HPE NonStop article I wrote in 2013 while I was working for Insider Technologies Limited in Salford Quays. I was working with a bank client in Saudi Arabia at the time who required a browser based solution for querying terabytes of transaction log data downloaded from a HPE NonStop mainframe. I themed the article on sci-fi movies. PDF version – page 12.

Episode IV – A New Hope
(…for both Archived Legacy and Real-Time Transactions and NonStop EMS Alerts)

7. Mark Whitfield, Globally published HPE NonStop journal – ‘The Connection’, 2013
Mark Whitfield, Globally published HPE NonStop journal

A long time ago (well, 2010) at an EBUG conference far, far away (I guess it depends on where you’re coming from but anyway, Madrid)…

1. Mark Whitfield, Globally published HPE NonStop journal – ‘The Connection’, 2013
2. Mark Whitfield, Globally published HPE NonStop journal – ‘The Connection’, 2013
3. Mark Whitfield, Globally published HPE NonStop journal – ‘The Connection’, 2013
4. Mark Whitfield, Globally published HPE NonStop journal – ‘The Connection’, 2013
5. Mark Whitfield, Globally published HPE NonStop journal – ‘The Connection’, 2013
Mark Whitfield, Globally published HPE NonStop journal – ‘The Connection’, 2013

What does a Business Analyst BA do in Sprint Planning?

What does a Business Analyst BA do in Sprint Planning?

Mark Whitfield – Betfred, Senior IT Digital Project Manager 2014 thru 2016

From December 2014 to January 2016, Mark Whitfield served as a Senior IT Digital Project Manager within the Online and Mobile Division at Betfred’s UK Head Office in Wigan, Lancashire. Operating in the highly competitive Gambling and Casinos industry, his role centered on governing fast-paced, end-to-end agile software releases for core, high-throughput web and mobile betting applications.

An in-depth breakdown of his technical scope, supplier ecosystem, regulatory landscape, and performance feedback illustrates his delivery footprint at Betfred.

Mark Whitfield - Betfred, Senior IT Digital Project Manager 2014 thru 2016
Mark Whitfield | Betfred | Senior IT Digital Project Manager, 2014 thru 2016

Core Project Portfolios & Engineering Scope

Whitfield deployed the Agile SCRUM framework with rolling monthly sprint cycles to lead development across three foundational gaming pillars:

  • Sportsbook Engineering: Orchestrated core feature rollouts and update loops for high-volume football and horse racing markets.
  • Payment Infrastructure: Supervised the integration, expansion, and security of frontend payment methods and high-velocity transactional payment gateways.
  • Virtual Gaming Components: Managed the complex backend integration and middleware required to power online, computer-generated virtual casino products.

The technical environment demanded managing native software application stacks concurrently across three main consumer ecosystems: iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile.

Multi-Supplier Integration Ecosystem

A massive portion of Whitfield’s role involved cross-functional supplier management. Because individual platform layers were built by separate third-party providers, he served as the central point of integration, managing UK- and EU-based delivery teams across several major industry suppliers:

Mark Whitfield's role involved cross-functional supplier management
Mark Whitfield’s role involved cross-functional supplier management

Project Governance & Financial Control

Whitfield handled multi-million rolling digital operational and R&D budgets. Rather than relying on automated corporate budgeting suites, his methodology focused heavily on granular variance tracking:

  • Effort Burn Rates: He took direct ownership of the weekly effort burn rates across distributed internal and external software teams, tracking exact resource consumption against forecasts via Custom MS Excel Variance Frameworks.
  • Delivery Infrastructure: Everyday Agile sprint workflows, backlog grooming, and cross-supplier alignment were facilitated directly through Jira and Confluence.

Regulatory Constraints & The Political Landscape

The delivery environment was heavily influenced by aggressive UK mobile entertainment deregulation and compliance updates. Whitfield was tasked with protecting Betfred’s operational licensing by responding to unexpected compliance mandates:

  • System Change Requests (SCRs): He structured rapid update loops to push compliance edits through production on minimal notice.
  • Directives Compliance: Industry auditors and compliance analysts commended his engineering oversight for maintaining strict adherence to mandatory industry directives, including rigorous PCI compliance protocols for financial processing streams.

Feedback & Professional Endorsements

Assessments from his tenure at Betfred and across his overarching tech career highlight a few recurring themes from peers, clients, and auditors:

  • Risk Mitigation under Pressure: Praised for his capability to handle complex “political landscapes” where changing regulatory goals frequently threatened project timelines. He successfully bridged the gap between strict compliance deadlines and flexible agile execution.
  • Supplier Synchronization: Commended by cross-functional teams for his ability to hold external software shops (like Degree 53 and Playtech) accountable to a unified release schedule.
  • Hybrid Delivery Prowess: Recognized for seamlessly blending strict financial reporting models (like PRINCE2 metrics) with fast-paced software loops (SCRUM sprints)—a structural approach he eventually popularized in the broader IT community through his Project Management Templates Gallery.