Dallas-based Allegro Development is a global leader in developing energy trading and risk management software. Allegro provides customers with agile solutions to manage risk across natural gas, power, coal, crude oil, petroleum products, emissions, and other commodity markets, allowing decision-makers to execute with confidence. Recognizing that possessing industry knowledge is central to the success in the delivery of its offering, Allegro maintains an industry-specific knowledge commitment for its employees in the industries where its customers do business.
The Challenge
Until recently, industry-specific training and knowledge sharing was conducted by Allegro’s subject matter experts (SMEs). These Allegro experts are engaged in a variety of disciplines within the company. Training sessions run by SMEs would take place several times throughout the year based largely on the needs of the consultants and the availability of the SMEs. Although Allegro consultants greatly benefited from the SME instruction, the training sessions posed several major challenges for the company:
- SME availability and consultant training needs were difficult to align.
- Frequent changes within the industries required frequent training updates/additional training.
- Training took SMEs away from their designated project responsibilities for new Allegro customers.
- As SMEs were being taken away from implementation projects, their billing revenue was reduced.
The Solution
Acknowledging the business challenges brought on by the SME-led training, Allegro sought alternatives to help develop critical industry-specific training for its employees. After months of careful deliberation, evaluation, and due diligence by the senior management team at Allegro, the company selected the Web-based training solution from The Oxford Princeton Programme to enhance its training program.
“Online training offered by The Oxford Princeton Programme provides Allegro with the ability to rapidly develop internal domain expertise in key industry areas, areas critical to Allegro achieving its mission of being the dominant software vendor in the ETRM space,” says Kevin Cox, director of Education at Allegro Development. “It is vital that our consultants know more than the features and functions provided by the Allegro software. They also must understand the business objectives that drive customers to implement ETRM solutions such as Allegro’s. Courses by The Oxford Princeton Programme provide our consultants with a core understanding of customer business needs and requirements, enabling Allegro’s consultants to deliver a solution that is best configured to solve the customer’s needs.”
The Web-enabled courses fulfilled Allegro’s need for flexibility and “just-in-time” training. They gave Allegro consultants immediate access to industry knowledge, enabling them to maintain the level of service its clients had come to expect, without disrupting SME schedules. Allegro consultants now receive comprehensive industry training, while SMEs focus their efforts on designated project responsibilities.
The course library was a driving factor in Allegro’s decision to work with The Oxford Princeton Programme’s Web-based training. Developed by the faculty of practicing experts at The Oxford Princeton Programme, the library offers expertise in several of Allegro’s mission-critical areas, including the oil industry, commodity derivatives, commodity risk, options, and credit risk management. The industry-specific training also eliminated the need for Allegro SMEs to invest time and effort in developing relevant instructional materials.
With a client list that includes some of the most dynamic and fast-growing players in their industries, Allegro also needed to secure a solution that would provide it with the ability to grow with its clients. As the clients expand their offerings or as Allegro moves into new market areas, Allegro needed the ability to gain industry-specific training in these areas. Allegro’s subscription-based agreement with The Oxford Princeton Programme gives it direct access to an extensive library of relevant commodity trading and risk management courses. Allegro consultants now can easily identify and immediately participate in courses on http://www.princetonlive.com that best support their immediate needs. With The Oxford Princeton Programme continually monitoring the industry and frequent course updates, the access also provides Allegro consultants the opportunity to remain informed on issues and trends impacting their clients.
