Course Description
The Phoenix Project® Simulation
Based on the bestselling book, The Phoenix Project® is centred on DevOps, technology transformation and improving the flow of work between development, operations and the business. Participants experience the challenges of balancing operational support with strategic projects while applying DevOps principles to remove bottlenecks, reduce rework and deliver value faster. This course is ideal for organisations adopting DevOps or Agile at scale, improving software delivery, or transforming the relationship between technology and the wider business.
The Phoenix Project® Business Simulation
Experience DevOps in Action and Transform the Way Your Teams Deliver Technology
The Phoenix Project® Business Simulation is an immersive, hands-on learning experience developed by GamingWorks, designed to help organisations understand and apply the principles of DevOps in a practical, engaging and risk-free environment.
Based on the internationally bestselling book The Phoenix Project, this simulation places participants at the heart of a business-critical transformation where success depends on breaking down silos, improving collaboration between development and operations, and delivering value to the business faster.
Rather than teaching DevOps as a set of tools or technical practices, the simulation focuses on what makes DevOps successful: the people, behaviours, culture and ways of working that enable teams to deliver continuous value. Participants experience firsthand how improved communication, faster feedback loops and better workflow can dramatically increase both business and technology performance.
Course Objectives
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
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Apply DevOps principles in realistic business situations
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Improve collaboration between development, operations and business teams
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Create better flow across the entire technology value stream
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Balance operational work with project delivery
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Understand how business decisions influence technology delivery
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Reduce bottlenecks and improve delivery performance
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Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of IT operations
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Develop the behaviours and mindset needed for successful DevOps adoption
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Build stronger business engagement and shared ownership of technology initiatives
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Create a culture of continuous learning and improvement
The Phoenix Project® Simulation
Course Content:
Your organisation, 'Parts Unlimited', is in serious trouble!
Declining financial performance, growing customer pressure and outdated technology have placed the business at risk. The company's future now depends on delivering a major business transformation initiative known as The Phoenix Project.
Participants take on roles from across both the business and IT, including Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Retail Operations and Technology. Together they must deliver critical projects, support day-to-day IT operations and respond to constant changes in business priorities.
Throughout the simulation, teams experience the competing demands that exist in real organisations- balancing incidents, technical debt, new features and strategic projects while keeping the business running.
As unexpected challenges emerge, participants must apply DevOps principles to improve collaboration, increase flow and ensure the transformation succeeds.
What You'll Experience
The workshop is delivered through a series of interactive simulation rounds, following a continuous Plan – Do – Review – Improve cycle.
Participants will:
Manage Competing Priorities
Balance business-critical projects with operational support while working under realistic time and resource constraints.
Apply DevOps Principles
Experience how improved collaboration, shared ownership and continuous feedback increase delivery performance.
Improve Flow Across the Organisation
Identify bottlenecks, reduce unnecessary work and optimise the movement of work from idea through to delivery.
Respond to Business Change
Adapt quickly to changing customer demands, new business priorities and unexpected operational challenges while maintaining service quality.
Each round concludes with facilitated discussions that connect the simulation directly to participants' own organisational environment.
Who Should Attend?
The Phoenix Project is ideal for organisations looking to adopt or strengthen DevOps and improve collaboration across technology and business functions.
Typical participants include:
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Software Development teams
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IT Operations teams
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DevOps Engineers and DevOps teams
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Infrastructure and Platform teams
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Technology Managers
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Service Delivery Managers
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Product Owners
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Project and Programme Managers
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Digital Transformation teams
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Business stakeholders involved in technology projects
The simulation is particularly valuable for organisations seeking to improve software delivery, modernise legacy ways of working or embed DevOps as part of a wider transformation programme.
When Should You Run The Phoenix Project?
The Phoenix Project is particularly effective as:
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A DevOps transformation kick-off
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An Agile or DevOps training programme
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A technology leadership development workshop
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A digital transformation initiative
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A cross-functional collaboration event
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A software delivery improvement programme
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A team development or strategy workshop
It provides an engaging environment where participants can safely experiment with new behaviours, challenge existing assumptions and experience how DevOps creates measurable business value.
Why Choose Simulation-Based Learning?
People learn best by doing.
Rather than sitting through presentations, participants make decisions, solve problems, collaborate under pressure and immediately experience the impact of their choices.
This hands-on approach creates stronger engagement, deeper understanding and learning that is far more likely to transfer into the workplace.
Bring DevOps to life.
Get in touch to discover how The Phoenix Project® simulation can transform your teams.
