Engineering Excellence (EngX): The Initiative and the First Cool Courses for Individuals and Teams Are Now Available on the External Market

Engineering Excellence (EngX) — what is it?

Engineering Excellence, or EngX, is an ambitious initiative that was born in 2014. Its goal was to provide the software engineers at EPAM with products, tools, and services that would enhance their software development performance. EngX is a trendsetter in the engineering industry, dedicated to fostering a healthy engineering culture based on extensive knowledge.

The creation of EngX was driven by multiple factors. There was a clear need for systematic approaches to improve software development performance and to address the everyday challenges of engineers, teams, and projects. Ensuring a healthy engineering culture was also a prime motivator. 

Now, EngX is a proven program that promotes best engineering practices throughout EPAM and is also delivered to a wide range of clients by EPAM’s engineers and others. It offers software engineers a Discovery Toolset comprised of the EngX Framework, Rapid Assessment, and EPAM Perf and Health. These tools establish the foundation for improving processes, monitoring key metrics, and identifying areas for improvement. EngX also offers a range of services, including Continuous Improvement Cycles, EngX Education, and the EngX Recreational Program, to drive continuous development and promote best practices. 

The program was recognized as the Best In-House Certification Program in 2021 and has received many other awards over the years.

EngX: the one-stop-shop for every engineer

The mission of EngX is to introduce the best engineering practices across EPAM and client organizations, consistently pursuing excellence in every aspect of the engineering process and culture. At its core, EngX aims to enhance the way that engineers, teams, and projects operate; striving to increase effectiveness and satisfaction. 

In its daily practice, EngX implements its mission by offering a variety of tools and services that address distinct functions in the improvement process. The EngX Framework and Rapid Assessment tools are used to identify areas that require improvement in terms of processes, team happiness, and skill gaps. The EPAM Perf and Health tool tracks and monitors key metrics per product and team, providing valuable data to guide improvement processes and measure results. 

EngX's 10-year journey

Looking back over EngX's 10-year journey, one of the biggest pivots has been the extension of an approach initially used only within EPAM, namely EngX enablement, to the external market. This evolution took the form of EngX Solutions, specific offerings designed for EPAM’s customers. The expansion reflects EngX's development from its early focus on improving engineering practices exclusively within EPAM, to its current role as a solution provider for external companies as well. EngX has also expanded its services, transitioning from a primary focus on online learning to offering SoDoTo (See one – Do one – Teach one) consulting.

Over its decade of operation, one of EngX’s primary achievements has been the creation of an engineering culture focused on excellence and continuous development within EPAM.

EngX's development path in the AI era integrates artificial intelligence into its established framework to optimize engineering outcomes. Its AI-Assisted Engineering Framework is a key component of this approach, blending AI with traditional engineering practices refined and improved during EngX’s 10 years of experience.

The EngX focus in the era of AI is to optimize outcomes and boost productivity at each step of the SDLC process. This is achieved through the use of the AI-Assisted Engineering Framework: interactive adoption dashboards, comprehensive AI training programs, continuous improvements, and customization based on client needs. 

The courses we developed have gradually become available beyond EPAM, and are now accessible to everyone.

Courses for individual learners

EngX Code Review course

The EngX Code Review course is specifically designed for both individual programmers and teams seeking to enhance their code review processes. The course provides expert guidance to help participants establish efficient and impactful code review practices.

The course offers unsurpassed value, including:

• Revealing the benefits and objectives of code review;
• Debunking myths that can obstruct effective code review practices;
• Risk mitigation strategies associated with overlooking the code review process;
• Tailoring a code review strategy to suit specific needs;
• Mastering execution of code review through proven steps and procedures;
• Nurturing ethical code discussions;
• Cultivating constructive comments that advocate for knowledge sharing; and
• Selecting efficient code review practices, processes, and tools.

Each participant will gain enhanced professional development skills, increased confidence, and improved problem-solving abilities. From a team perspective, the course fosters collaboration, ensures code quality, and promotes continuous learning. For the client, the course means better product quality, minimized errors, and enhanced project success.

The curriculum for the course was selected to comprehensively cover all aspects needed to master code review. 

The course duration is six learning hours — a compact timeline that delivers maximum learning outcomes in the shortest possible time.

EngX AI-Supported Software Engineering course

EngX AI-Supported Software Engineering is a self-paced course that improves software development efficiency by integrating AI tools, GitHub Copilot, and ChatGPT. Designed for new and intermediate programmers, this course offers insights into artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large language models.

The course is tailored for developers using languages such as JavaScript, Java, Python, or C#. It highlights how GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT can benefit users’ daily tasks, discusses typical use cases, and includes training in prompt engineering (an overlooked yet crucial aspect of project documentation). The course also focuses on development testing, in-depth unit test experience, and creating test data.

This extensive course includes 5 modules, 14 theoretical lessons, and 9 practical tasks. It can be completed in approximately 7 hours 30 minutes, and results in enhanced coding abilities and streamlined development tasks.

EngX AI-Supported Testing course

The EngX AI-Supported Testing course brings efficiency and speed to your testing processes through AI tools. Targeting functional testing engineers and test automation engineers of all levels, this course showcases the integration of AI across all phases of the software testing lifecycle (STLC). The program uses ChatGPT for a hands-on experience and offers insights into the capabilities of AI tools and the art of AI interaction.

You'll learn about the practical applications of AI tools in each STLC phase, from requirement analysis to test cycle closure. A major component of the course is the use of the OpenAI API with Postman, leveraging ChatGPT's potential for complex testing requirements.

This comprehensive program, including 10 modules and 30 lessons, can be completed in about 16 hours and provides in-depth knowledge of AI-supported testing. Enhance your skills and redefine your testing journey with this innovative course!

EngX Clean Code

EngX Clean Code is a self-paced course designed to teach you how to write clean, maintainable code to enhance development speed and reduce errors. Ideal for beginners and intermediate programmers, this course covers essential clean code principles and practices necessary for creating high-quality software.

You will explore a diverse range of learning materials, including 14 theory lessons and 16 engaging coding stories that demonstrate practical applications of clean code techniques. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to complete 20 hands-on practice tasks, which come with automatic evaluation to help you apply the concepts in real-time.

In this course, you will:

• Understand and apply essential clean code principles to enhance coding efficiency and prevent software deterioration.
• Learn effective naming conventions for variables, functions, and classes to improve code clarity.
• Develop skills in identifying “code smells,” which are indicators of poor code quality that can impact maintainability and scalability.
• Explore commenting techniques that help create self-documenting code, making maintenance easier.
• Examine guidelines for writing clean functions that improve structure, readability, and reusability.
• Master error handling techniques to ensure clear and functional code.

The course supports multiple programming languages, providing clean code examples and practice tasks in JavaScript, Java, Python, C#, and TypeScript, making it adaptable for various development environments.

Learning programs for teams

GenAI Adoption for Engineering Teams course

GenAI Adoption for Engineering Teams is a 12-week program designed to help you integrate a generative AI toolkit into your product development processes to boost team performance and productivity. Tailored to your team's needs, the program covers key areas such as software development, quality engineering, and business analysis.

Teams will learn to generate and maintain code, implement third-party integrations, create test cases, and conduct automated testing. The program also helps with business analysis and optimizing application logic. It includes a precise rollout timeline (with overlapping stages for efficiency), and support from EngX experts in setting up the AI toolkit, training, and ROI assessments.

The program has already proved its success in more than 40 engineering teams, with productivity enhancements for those teams ranging from 15% to 50%. Ultimately, this program equips your team with a long-term strategy for sustained success with GenAI.

AI Adoption Workshop for Business Analysts

AI Adoption Workshop for Business Analysts is specifically designed to elevate the GenAI expertise of business analysts, aiming to equip them with advanced techniques that can transform their analytical capabilities and impact. This intensive 5.5-hour workshop will quickly boost your team’s skills in utilizing GenAI for business analysis.

During the workshop, your team will:

• Understand the AI landscape and its impact on business analysis.
• Learn to design effective, business analysis-specific prompts using GenAI tools.
• Master prompt refinement techniques for improved GenAI outputs.
• Apply GenAI tools practically to tackle real-world business analysis challenges.

Empower your team today with the skills to harness the power of AI in business analysis.

AI Adoption Workshop for Engineering Teams

AI Adoption Workshop for Engineering Teams is designed specifically for software engineers and QA teams who want to integrate AI tools like GitHub Copilot into their day-to-day practices. This one-day, 9-hour workshop combines theory, hands-on practice, and expert discussions to significantly boost your team's efficiency in managing both new and legacy code.

What your team will learn:

• Environment setup: Get your team's working environment optimized for maximum productivity during and post-workshop.
• Introduction to GenAI and GitHub Copilot: Learn how general AI and GitHub Copilot can enhance workflow efficiency.
• Software development with AI: Gain practical experience using GitHub Copilot to generate new code, refine existing code, and write effective unit tests.
• Quality assurance with AI: Learn how to utilize AI tools to craft accurate and comprehensive test cases.

Equip your team with cutting-edge AI skills and witness a transformation in how they handle software projects.

Navigating Team Dynamics

Navigating Team Dynamics is an in-depth program designed to boost your team's performance, strengthen relationships, and develop a supportive work environment using practical and scientifically backed strategies.

Key benefits for your team:

• Boost team engagement and performance: Increase motivation, enhance decision-making abilities, and optimize overall performance.
• Optimize remote management: Acquire skills to effectively manage remote or distributed teams, promoting morale and engagement.
• Navigate uncertainty: Learn to transform uncertainty into opportunities for growth and innovation.
• Streamline processes: Develop frameworks that optimize team operations and workflow efficiency.
• Enhance communication: Overcome barriers to ensure clear, consistent interactions within the team.
• Promote effective collaboration: Handle project scope changes and shifting deadlines with better cross-functional teamwork.

The program is built on a solid foundation of EPAM's internal research, expert collaboration across disciplines, and established theories like Tuckman's model of team development. This combination ensures the program effectively improves team dynamics.

GenAI Adoption Training for Software Engineers

GenAI Adoption Training for Software Engineers is a 10-week program designed to enhance coding skills and streamline your team’s development workflow, promising up to a 30% boost in development speed and saving each developer an impressive hour per day.

What your team will learn:

• GenAI fundamentals: Master the core principles of generative AI, including essential concepts, capabilities, and prompt engineering.
• Prompt engineering: Learn to create, refine, and structure effective prompts to maximize the performance of large language models.
• AI tools for development: Get hands-on experience with cutting-edge GenAI tools like GitHub Copilot, exploring both conversation and whisper modes tailored for coding and unit testing.
• Refactoring and code review with AI: Learn to employ GenAI tools to refine your code and improve product quality effectively.
• Enhanced tool efficiency: Discover advanced techniques to optimize the output of GenAI tools for better performance.
• Project planning and documentation: Leverage GenAI to break down user stories and architectural designs and automate the documentation process.

GenAI Adoption Program for Software Engineers features comprehensive AI educational courses, hands-on AI coaching, and practical workshops that allow participants to apply GenAI skills to their software development tasks. Additionally, the program includes weekly Q&A sessions where trainees can interact with AI experts, exchange experiences, and gain insights from peers.

GenAI Adoption Training for Business Analysts

Transform your business analysis team with EngX's cutting-edge 10-week GenAI Adoption Training for Business Analysts. This dynamic program not only boosts backlog health by up to 20% but also saves each team member 3 to 8 hours per sprint, optimizing efficiency across the board.

Dive deep into core topics like GenAI fundamentals, prompt engineering, real-world use cases, advanced AI applications, and essential AI ethics. The program includes AI educational courses, interactive workshops, personalized coaching, and weekly Q&A sessions, providing your team with a thorough and engaging learning experience.

By completing this program, your team will not only understand GenAI but will be proficient in integrating these innovative tools into everyday business analyses, driving better decisions and smoother processes.

GenAI Adoption Training for Software Testing Engineers

GenAI Adoption Training for Software Testing Engineers is a 10-week program designed to integrate AI into your team’s testing processes, boosting efficiency by 17% and saving an hour per engineer daily.

What your team will learn:

• GenAI basics: Grasp the fundamentals of AI and generative AI.
• Prompt engineering skills: Learn to craft effective prompts.
• AI-driven test strategy: Implement AI for smarter test planning and execution.
• Test design techniques: Quickly generate test cases using AI.
• Test execution and reporting: Improve defect tracking and reporting with AI tools.

Program features:

• Comprehensive courses: Explore GenAI's role in software testing.
• Interactive workshops: Apply GenAI in practical scenarios.
• One-on-one coaching: Focus on your team's needs with expert guidance.
• Weekly Q&A sessions: Collaborate and solve challenges together.

Enroll your team in EngX’s GenAI Adoption Training to harness advanced AI capabilities, ensuring faster, smarter, and more precise software testing outcomes.

GenAI Adoption Training for Test Automation Engineers

GenAI Adoption Training for Test Automation Engineers is a 10-week program designed to equip your team with advanced AI skills for more effective testing and code enhancement, increasing testing efficiency by 17% and saving each engineer an hour per day.

What your team will learn:

• GenAI fundamentals: Understand AI and generative AI's core principles, capabilities, and how to craft effective prompts.
• Prompt Engineering: Learn the art of creating, refining, and structuring prompts to maximize large language models’ performance.
• Test automation with Copilot: Dive into GitHub Copilot features for improved coding and testing automation.
• Code refactoring with GenAI: Hands-on experience in refining code and integrating changes using AI tools like GitHub Copilot.
• Efficient test design: Employ AI-driven prompts to rapidly generate test cases and checklists.
• Documentation via Copilot: Automate the creation of commit messages, release notes, and summaries effortlessly.

Program features:

• AI educational courses: Access in-depth learning materials on generative AI and its applications in software development.
• Hands-on workshops and AI coaching: Participate in practical sessions and receive personalized guidance from AI experts, focusing on leveraging GenAI in test automation and code documentation.
• Weekly Q&A sessions: Engage in dynamic discussions to share experiences and learn collectively about GenAI applications.

By the end of this training, your engineers will have essential AI knowledge and practical skills to enhance your software testing and documentation processes.