What Are the Best Practices in Pricing Organization Design?

With more companies valuing pricing’s strategic importance, they increasingly look for insights on how to best organize their pricing function and resources. Pricing has been elevated from an informally managed, fragmented function to a rigorous business discipline with an acknowledged need for an organizational infrastructure to manage it.

How should your company’s pricing function be structured and organized?

The design of the pricing function has to be accomplished in light of the right decision authority, reporting relationships, centralization vs. decentralization, skill requirements, governance and key performance metrics. Understanding the role that culture plays in structuring a pricing function is vital, as is establishing the right types of roles and responsibilities.

Learn to identify the core competencies and skills required for a successful pricing organization

During the Beyond the Organization Chart: How to Structure and Organize Your Company’s Pricing Function workshop at the PPS 25th Annual Pricing Conference in Chicago, Larry Montan (pictured top left) and Maggie Laird (pictured bottom left) will explore how to diagnose common issues and barriers to pricing function performance. Workshop attendees will also learn how to manage pricing talent and future trends in pricing organization structure.

CPP Updates: New Workshops and CPP Bundle Packages

It's been awhile since I initially told you about the online CPP Certification through PPS. We now have eleven cutting edge pricing education workshops available online (with two more coming this Fall) from leading minds in the pricing field.

Additionally, PPS has assembled the NEW CPP Pricing Training and Certification Packages with you in mind! Here are some of the key benefits of buying these packages:

- You SAVE a significant amount of money
- You only have to ask for ONE APPROVAL from your boss and company
- You can now SCHEDULE your training at your convenience and get your CPP designation.

Check out our available CPP Bundle Packages:

Single CPP Package

Provides the courses, study guide, and Accreditation Exam that a pricer needs to achieve the CPP designation at is/her own convenience:

• 6 Online Courses - This covers all necessary prerequisite courses for taking the CPP Accreditation Exam.


• CPP Study Guide & Exam Prep Sessions - Extensive 300 page study guide covering 14 topics and online test prep sessions.


• CPP Online Accreditation Exam - The rigorous, 4-hour Accreditation Exam required to achieve the CPP designation.

Cost: $3,795 for current PPS Members

Team CPP Package

Provides the courses, study guide, and Accreditation Exam that a pricer needs to achieve the CPP designation at is/her own convenience:

• 24 Online Courses - This covers all necessary prerequisite courses for taking the CPP Accreditation Exam.


• 4 CPP Study Guides & Exam Prep Sessions - Extensive 300 page study guide covering 14 topics and online test prep sessions.


• 4 CPP Online Accreditation Exams - The rigorous, 4-hour Accreditation Exam required to achieve the CPP designation.

Cost: $10,995 for current PPS Members

(See a complete listing of online courses here)

Current Courses:

• "Decisions in Add-on and Versioning Price Structures" - PRESENTER: Tim Smith, Ph.D., Managing Principal, Wiglaf Pricing


• "Best Practices in Designing and Implementing Value-Based Pricing Strategies" - PRESENTER: Andreas Hinterhuber, PhD., Partner, HINTERHUBER & PARTNERS, Visiting Professor Bocconi University


• "Price Certainty in Uncertain Times: 10 Ways to Stop Leaving Money on the Table" - PRESENTER: Mark Burton, Co-Author Pricing with Confidence: 10 Ways to Stop Leaving Money on the Table


• "Core Pricing Skills" - PRESENTERS: Mark Billige, Senior Consultant, Simon-Kucher & Partners and Stephan A. Butscher, Partner, Simon, Kucher & Partners


• "Implementing Price Changes In Competitive Markets Strategies & Methods for Making Them Stick Inside and Outside the Firm" - PRESENTER: Richard Lancioni, Ph.D., CPP, Chair Department of Marketing, Temple University, Fox School of Business and Management


• "Pricing During Turbulent Times" - PRESENTER: Paul Hunt, President, Pricing Solutions


• "Avoid the Commodity Trap: Pricing Services in a Recession" - PRESENTER: Reed K. Holden, D.B.A., Founder, Holden Advisors


• "The Psychology of Buying at Higher Prices in a Down Market" - PRESENTER: Scott Sorrell, CEO of Sales Adrenaline


• "Bundling's Impact on Profits" - PRESENTER: Tim Smith, Ph.D., Managing Principal of Wiglaf Pricing


• "How to Achieve Pricing Excellence This Year" - PRESENTERS: Jim Saunders, Partner, Pricing Solutions and Avy Punwasee, Senior Consultant, Pricing Solutions


• "Best Practices in Pricing Analytics" - Practical Things You Can Do Tomorrow (and in the Future) - PRESENTER: Reuben Swartz, Lecturer, Consultant and Author of "Dollars and Sense: The Pricing Blog."

PPS Online Courses – Coming Soon: Fall 2009

• "Pricing: Making Profitable Decisions" - PRESENTER: Kent B. Monroe, J.M. Jones Professor of Marketing, Emeritus


• "Pricing Cases in Latin America" - PRESENTER: Frederico Zornig, Founder and CEO, Quantiz Pricing Solutions, Brazil

Have you attended one of our online courses? We love to hear how these courses have benefited pricers. Please send us your feedback!

Warmly, EM

PPS Launches Online Pricing Training and Certification Program, Announces 2009 Spring CPP Graduates

News from the Professional Pricing Society:

The Professional Pricing Society announces Online Pricing Training and Online Certified Pricing Professional course delivery for increased access, flexibility and cost-effectiveness

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) May 6, 2009 -- The Professional Pricing Society (PPS), the world's only professional society dedicated to pricing education and training, has expanded their courses and Certified Pricing Professional (CPP) designation program to an online delivery platform. Through this new delivery method, pricers all over the world will be able to get pricing training and achieve professional pricing certification at their own pace and from any location. The CPP designation is the industry recognized standard for advanced pricing knowledge in the business community.

Until recently, pricers could only attain their pricing training and CPP designation by attending sessions at live PPS events. However, in this challenging economy, PPS identified the need to expand options available to pricers for overcoming tightened travel and training budgets and for pursuing career advancement through continuing education. With the online program, CPP students can access and complete courses in any order, communicate with course instructors via email, participate in review sessions via teleconference, and complete their post-workshop exams online.

PPS also announced their Spring 2009 CPP graduating class, adding seven pricers to the elite group of CPP designees. Graduates earned their designation by successfully earning six CPP credits in PPS approved workshops and passing a four-hour certification exam. The newest class of CPP designees brings the total number of pricing professionals certified through the program to sixty three.

The 2009 Certified Pricing Professional Graduates are:

* Tim Rowlands, President, Edgeworth, Inc.
* Kristy Lingerfelt, Global Pricing Manager PCIBO, Eastman
* Kyle O'Connor, Pricing Analyst, Open Text
* Don Thomas, Director Global Pricing, Baker Petrolite
* Stan Cherry, Director of Pricing, Stock Building Supply
* Colby Imbrie, Pricing Project Manager, Pricing Consultant
* Ron Greenwade, Global Pricing Manager, Baker Oil Tools

Read the full release here.

And, don't forget to save the date for The Most Comprehensive Pricing Conference in 25 Years!

Announcing the PPS 20th Annual Fall Pricing Workshops & Conference

When:
Pricing Workshops: October 21, 2009
Fall Conference: October 22-23, 2009

Where:
The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, One Grand Cypress Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32836

Click here for more information on this exciting event!

Online Pricing Training Now Available

We know the economy is tough and you can't come to us, so we are bringing pricing training to you because we know how critical pricing training and CPP certifications are to today's pricers.

We are glad to announce ANOTHER NEW PPS Online Training Workshop presented by Tim Smith, Ph.D., Managing Principal, Wiglaf Pricing. We are also offering:

Avoid the Commodity Trap: Pricing Services in a Recession, Reed Holden, Founder of Holden Advisors

The Psychology of Buying at Higher Prices in a Down Market, Scott Sorrell, CEO, Sales Adrenaline

Bundling's Impact on Profits, Tim Smith, Ph.D., Managing Principal, Wiglaf Pricing

Now getting pricing training is easier and more affordable than ever! In the comfort of your home or office settings, you can attend virtually to a LIVE session or learn at your own pace with the RECORDED Sessions.

LIVE Sessions and RECORDED Sessions Prices are:

For Non Members: $695 and you gain 1 CPP Credit for each Workshop
For PPS Members $495 and you gain 1 CPP Credit for each Workshop

RECORDED SESSIONS are ALSO AVAILABLE:

1.You can get your Pricing Workshop at anytime, from anywhere in the world

2.Speakers will be available to answer your questions via e-mail

3.Post Workshop quiz will be sent via e-mail after the user completes the workshop

4.All participants of Live and Recorded Workshops will receive one (1) CPP Credit towards the Certified Pricing Professional Designation after successfully completing the quiz.

For a full schedule or to register, click here!