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Pricefx Pricing Software: What Training is Provided?

April 12th, 2022 (Updated 02/19/2024) | 14 min. read

By Kate Grusemann

It can take longer than you think to implement Pricefx pricing software. After all, implementing a full-fledged native-cloud pricing system informed by the power of Artificial Intelligence should take longer than uploading Google Chrome or doing a Windows update, right? With all the time and effort that the team at Pricefx put into developing your pricing software and customizing it to suit your company’s unique set of business objectives, wouldn’t it be disastrous if end users like yourselves could not take full advantage of it and use the software to its maximum potential to drive profit and other business efficiencies? 

At Pricefx, over the last 10+ years, we have assisted hundreds of customers to migrate their pricing needs over to a true cloud native pricing software solution from their Excel spreadsheet pricing set-up or from outdated first-generation legacy on-premises pricing systems. As part of that process, we consider it a critical part of our duty of care to our clients to give them training and understanding of the pricing software they have purchased, providing the best possible knowledge they need to succeed. 

Due to the popular demand, we’ve put together this article to outline the type of training you need to take to get the most out of your Pricefx pricing software.  

Let’s take a journey together through the three steps in the Pricefx training system for new and existing customers before we analyze how Pricefx customer client training can benefit your company, and what can happen if you don’t get your pricing software training ducks in a row to learn as much as you can. 

The 3 Step Pricefx Learning Journey 

After listening to our customers and taking on their feedback, we have revamped the way you can learn and apply the Pricefx pricing software in and for your business. The first step in the journey is to provide a broad and in-depth understanding of the Pricefx solution as a valuable source of truth for our employees, customers, partners, and prospects. 

In relaunching our training, we heard you – yes, we support three unique audiences; business users of our pricing software, technical users that build the solution inside those businesses, and administrators that maintain and configure implementations of the pricing software.  

We determined that each of the three audiences has unique needs and the first starting point, the free knowledge base is designed to guide each of the audiences to the content that they require to support their specific roles. 

1. The Knowledge Base 

Free. No Registration Required. Access Available at any point in time through the Internet and divided into sections for Pricefx business users and technical users. Lots of tutorials and how-to-sections. Plenty of things to like about that, right? 

Pricefx-Knowledge-Base-Home-Page

By dividing that information into business and technical users, we taken what used to be fairly defined as being too much information all thrown into one training bucket and divided it, simplified it, and aimed it what you as an end-user require from your pricing software training. 

The Business User Section  

The Business User Section is designed for pricing managers, product managers, staff using the pricing software daily and others in your team who might be involved in implementation. Long story short, those who will get the most out of the Business User section of the Knowledge Base will be trained in the pricing software’s functionality. 

Pricefx-Business-User-Knowledge-Base

 

You can learn your way around the User Interface of the pricing software and discover how to create pricelists and quotes, manage discounts, rebates, promotions, and ship-and-debit claims, set up and toggle between different dashboard types, trigger updates etc. Whatever you need to learn about becoming familiarized with the software and what it does and how you can personalize it to your business, is in this section. 

The Technical Users Section 

The Technical Users Section of the Knowledge Base is more for those users that are involved in the design and maintenance of the pricing software solution and how it operates specifically within your business.  

Pricefx-Technical-User-Knowledge-Base

Naturally, the language switches for the technical users who require a more objective orientated language. It’s for the end users that need to modify the pricing logic and support for your company. Generally, those technical users are delivered training information on the Pricefx pricing software platform that covers concepts, references, best practices, and answers to development questions. 

2. The Pricefx Training Portal – Guided Learning Pathways 

What used to be known in the past as the Pricefx Learning Hub has now been renamed the Pricefx Training Portal.  

Also free, the Guided Learning Pathways have been recently redesigned to help you navigate your way through the Knowledge Base in an intuitive and structured manner. Rather than a video course (as it once was), the Pathways are now a set of links to relevant articles that you need to know about your chosen topic. 

Pricefx-Business-User-Learning-Path-Foundation

 

For example, maybe you simply want to just want to become familiarized with the Pricefx system about how best to navigate your way through it? We have a Business User Foundation learning path that can assist you with that and reinforces your topic understanding along the way with small quizzes.  

The Pricefx Training Portal is continually evolving. For now, many of the courses are generic in design and can be used by any of our clients. Basic Learning pathways are the first courses being added to the new system and soon the number of courses offered will expand to include specific user roles with the Pricefx pricing software. 

3. Instructor-Led Training to Deep Dive into Hands Pricefx Pricing Software Experience 

Instructor-led courses diving in-depth into how to specifically use the Pricefx pricing solution are held twice per month (once in the Central European Time Zone and once in U.S Central Time Zone). In a flexible and user-friendly Video Call environment, an Instructor will guide you through all the materials, give you exercises to do and questions to answer, and review them to ensure full understanding. For those businesses and individuals that really or want to do a deep dive and practice everything possible with the Pricefx technology before they start to use the pricing software in earnest, then instructor-led training is the logical next step in the learning journey. 

It is worthwhile to note that these Instructor-led training courses are the only training type where you can receive hands-on practice on the Pricefx pricing software itself. 

 

Whilst theory and articles are great, nothing substitutes better in getting to know the Pricefx solution than spending guided practice time on the tool itself.

The Instructor-led training is broken down into two distinct types: project specific training and user-specific training.  

Project-Specific Training with the Pricefx Tool 

Perfect for new Pricefx pricing software users, the project-specific training is aligned with the implementation phases (or ‘sprints’ as they are known – click here to learn more about ‘the phases of a pricing software project’). This training is specifically designed to help users throughout your organization accept and start using the tool through understanding how the technology works. We have learnt through trial and error that increased adoption and acceptance of new technology is directly related to understanding how it works and experiencing hands-on, the increased efficiencies possible. 

Pricefx-Project-embedded-training-program

User-Specific Training with the Pricefx Tool 

Once your Pricefx pricing software has been implemented and data is flowing and system goes live, your organization will want to know how to trouble shoot, how to administer (yes, admin training coming soon too!) and strategize your pricing with the tool, change tables and display and more. 

User specific training is primarily for your new users that have just joined your team, and to build level 1 and level 2 support within your company and for building technical self-sufficiency (described in the image below). 

With this type of training, you will be able to build Level 1 and Level 2 Pricefx support within your own organization and decrease your dependence on contacting our support staff for quick fixes.  

Pricefx-User-Specific-Training

Once your organization has its own level of support for Pricefx users, the adoption of the technology will increase as you can solve any issues that may arise internally. And for technical users, self-sufficiency will help save money and streamline working processes.  

Additional Training Options 

Adoption Package 

For those organizations that chose not to undertake project-specific training, or existing Pricefx users that are looking to expand their use of the pricing software within their business, the adoption training package assists in acceptance, usage and understanding of the technology. 

For new users, the Adoption Training should be planned after their Technical Go Live in order to facilitate Business Go Live with the end users of the Pricefx system.  

A discovery session with the key stakeholders in your company is conducted to understand where your organization’s current gaps are and challenges in using Pricefx and how training can assist in overcoming them. 

A training plan coming out of the discovery session will include:  

  • General training on the high-level capability of the Pricefx system. 
  • Customized training on the existing customer solution with hands-on practice and deep dives. 
  • Developing learning materials for end-users to have a user guide at hand and as a training guide for new users 
  • Potentially adding focused administrative training to build internal Level 1 and Level 2 support. 

Self-Sufficiency Training 

What is self-sufficiency? 

Pricefx defines customer self-sufficiency as an ability to maintain and modify Pricefx custom solutions with the help of internal customer resources. This approach can help customers be less dependent on the Pricefx team and optimize the cost of the solution maintenance. To achieve self-sufficiency, customers must provide suitably skilled resources to be trained, certified, and mentored by Pricefx. 

Which roles are currently covered? 

  • Solution Developer (Configuration Engineer role in Pricefx team) – maintains the existing solution, implements new simple/medium level requirements, and fixes bugs. 
  • Integration Engineering (same role in Pricefx team) – maintains existing integration connections, updates data sources, and fixes data-related bugs. 
  • Super Users for UI and Support – user management, UI management, and configuration, 1-level of support (“forgot the password; how to find something” type of problems) & 2-level of support (integration and data). 
  • End-User Onboarding & Training custom user scenario reference guides, documentation, and learning paths. Relevant for big organizations with multiple BUs that have many users and user turnover. 

What is required to be  self-sufficient? 

To become self-sufficient, companies will need to:

  • Send the candidates through foundational training

  • As a final step in the foundational training, candidates will need to pass the certification exam

  • Once the exam has been successfully passed, the knowledge transfer, shadowing, and mentoring plan will need to be developed with the Pricefx project team. This is the crucial step in preparing the candidates to take over the maintenance and changes in the tool.

The standard duration of acquiring self-sufficiency for different roles is at least six months.

Pricefx-Self-Suffiency-Concept-Graphic

As the Pricefx pricing software is a tool that keeps evolving and advancing in its capability over time, even as an existing Pricefx user, it will be a promising idea to become self-sufficient in the system’s operation, and on-board your own end users.  It would be such a shame to keep on using pricing software to do the same thing you always did, if the system can now do so much more in helping you understand innovative ways your business can now discover new profit opportunities, right? 

However, the technology is moving fast, and the pricing software is not standing still either.

No matter how long you might have been using the system, the functionality will soon be upgraded if it has not already (since you first began using the system).

It would be such a shame to keep on using pricing software to do the same thing you always did, if the system can now do so much more in helping you understand innovative ways your business can now discover new profit opportunities, right?  

Why Is Pricefx Training Important for Your Company? 

Training is the key starting point to gain foundational knowledge of Pricefx pricing software and manage the risks of your pricing projects. 

By learning how to use the software, you will be able to: 

  • Make project implementation much easier for your pricing team and avoid incorrect focus and delays.  
  • Avoid project scope changes and unnecessary costs. 
  • Expand Pricefx product acceptance among your core and broader project teams by facilitating hands-on pricing software experience.
  • Improve and optimize your pricing processes.
  • Tailor your own project implementation training to your end users. 

How to Subscribe in Pricefx Training

As of March 2024, Pricefx is migrating to the new learning management system and access will be granted only if you are planning to attend any scheduled instructor-led classes. Once you have registered for the class, you will have 3 months to access the content of the platform and attend the instructor-led session. After this period, your account will be deactivated automatically until you participate in the next course. All records, regarding your attendance will be saved in the system and can be requested through your success/partner manager at any time.

For Business User Training, Admin Training and Integration Engineering training you can register by booking the next available training; please see the schedule and registration guidelines.If you want to attend the Configuration Engineering Learning path, first you will need to schedule an interview with our training specialist and upon successful interview you will be granted access to the platform and registered for the next course intake. The 2024 Configuration Engineering training schedule can be viewed here.

What Can Happen to My Pricefx User Experience if I Don’t Do Training? 

Depending on which training you might unfortunately skip, a different range of negative impacts could potentially be inflicted on your business. 

Skipping Product Training (Business User Training) May Result In; 

Projects delays due to misunderstandings between different sectors of your core team and with that, increased costs. 

Skipping Kick-Off Training May Result In; 

Projects delays due to misunderstandings between different sectors of your core team and Pricefx staff during project set-up phase. Testing may be ignored or suffer from poor participation and feedback being neglected. Project scope can change, and costs spiral up. 

Skipping on UAT (User Acceptance Training) May Result In; 

Prolonged period of user acceptance testing meaning that challenges potentially arise in testing the implemented pricing software. Chances of resistance to using the Pricefx system may eventuate. 

Skipping Solution Adoption Training May Result In; 

Knowledge loss on the Pricefx software after implementation and no legacy system of training and learning for new users. With that comes the potential of low adoption rates of the software, as end users are not receiving ongoing training and updates. 

Skipping on Administrative Training May Result In; 

Frustration in your organization that ongoing issues pile up quickly without any resolution being made. Again, as the problems continue unresolved, the potential for end users to ‘lose faith’ in the software is high and adoption rates of the pricing software can plummet. 

Spend Time Money on Training Now to Make Money Later 

Our training courses are structured training and learning approaches based on the feedback of our customers and continually being improved on your suggestions. However, we are always open to receiving your training ideas or suggestions about a training type that you would like to be offered and could potentially add value to your business. 

Pricing Software is a powerful tool and can help build profit for your company quickly, but you will need to spend some time and money on getting your training ducks in a row. The quicker you have your team fully versed in how the Pricefx solution works to drive profit for your business, the faster you’ll be able make the Return on Investment (ROI) you made on the pricing software in the first place. 

For those looking to learn more on ROI in the pricing software industry, check out our recent blog article on “What ROI can I expect from Pricing Software?.” 

You can also learn more here about the Pricefx Knowledge Base, or if you want to check out the skills your team will need to use pricing software, click on the image directly below;

CTA-What-Skills-Do-I-Need-To-Use-Pricing-Software

Kate Grusemann

Director – Customer & Partner Training in Customer Solutions , Pricefx

Kate Grusemann has been working with Pricefx for the past 7 years in different roles and areas. She headed multiple global software implementation projects in a variety of industries as an IT project management consultant and Project Mangement Competence lead. For the past 3 years, Kate has been focusing on building world-class training offerings within Pricefx and leads the global training team. In her free time, Kate is developing herself as a transformational coach & neurobiology enthusiast and taking part in impactful community projects.