Partner Configuration Engineering Learning Path

The training cost for all official Pricefx partners - €750/$750.

What background is expected for this training program:

• Professional programming experience with at least two years of object-oriented programming (i.e. Java).

• Solution development, problem-solving, testing, and troubleshooting skills are required.

• Understand data structures (Arrays, Maps, etc.), algorithmising and coding skills (variables, loops, conditions), and Groovy language features (syntax, operators, closures).

• Experience with databases and data, ideally SQL, working with tables, and examining data. 

• Working knowledge of IDE (IntelliJ Idea or other) and GIT (feature branches, checkout, pull, push, commit, rebase, amend, merge, stash).

• Good spoken and written English, we require CEFR B2 level. Must have the ability to communicate, be confident to express their thoughts, and understand technical documentation and requirements. 

The expected outcome of the Configuration Engineer program:

The candidate will be able to maintain implemented solutions, troubleshoot and make changes to the existing logic and data tables, and implement new requirements within existing customer-specific Pricefx functionality.

The new program from March 2024 focuses on product functionality and accelerators, turning requirements into solutions and more hands-on experience. Instead of squeezing 40 hours of training in one week, we are spreading 80 hours of effort over 8 weeks with much support and supervision from the trainer. This will significantly improve education quality and help candidates pass the certification exam on the first attempt. At the same time, partners will have a billable resource 4 days a week without compromising the quality of education. From Q2 2024, we will introduce more prescriptive components and run best practices sessions.

The Program Flow

Duration: 8 Weeks

Objective: This intensive 8-week technical training program will equip aspiring configuration engineers with foundational skills. Participants will undergo a comprehensive curriculum led by experienced instructors, combining Instructor-Led Training (ILT) sessions and self-study components.

Prerequisites:

• Successful completion of pre-assessment in a 1-1 interview (30 min) with a technical trainer. The details of pre-assessment and registration will be provided on the 6th of February.

• Note: The pre-assessment interview will require the prospective student to have installed a copy of an IDE with Groovy support. Since the IntelliJ Idea IDE will be the mandatory IDE for the class, it is recommended that the IntelliJ Idea IDE ( Community Edition ) be installed for the interview. During the interview process, this IDE will be used to verify the students' code challenge.

• Installation of necessary tools (Git, IntelliJ, PriceFX Studio Plugin).

• Basic knowledge of GIT and Groovy.

Key Training Components:

1. Instructor-Led Training (ILT) Sessions:

   • Weekly 1-3 ILT sessions led by technical trainers to confirm the understanding of the key concepts and let the participants present their working results.

   • Each session lasts around 90 minutes.

2. Self-Study:

   • Students are expected to dedicate additional time to self-study each week to do the practical exercises and deepen their skills in particular topics each week.

3. Exit Points:

   • Every two weeks, there are exit points for students failing the assignments and not attending the sessions.

   • Criteria for exit points include attendance in ILT sessions and completion of mandatory exercises.

4. Certification Exam:

   • Eligible students who attend ILT sessions and complete all exercises can take the certification exam on week 8.

   • Successful candidates receive certification.

5. Post-Certification Advancement:

   • Certified individuals progress to the advanced on-demand training series to further improve their knowledge.

   • The advanced series is a self-study and will be verified by PriceFX technical trainers through Q&A sessions.

Training Schedule:

1. Pre-requisites/Pre-assessment:

   • Duration: 1 week

   • Time Commitment: 5-12 hours

2. Technical Training Path:

   • Duration: 8 weeks

   • Time Commitment: ~90 hours

3. Advanced Training after Certification:

   • Begins 1 month after the training

   • Duration: 20-40 hours

Training Frequency:

• A new group of attendees can start the training every two weeks.

This program is tailored to individuals with a solid technical background, ensuring they gain the necessary skills to excel as configuration engineers. Successful completion opens doors to advanced training opportunities and real-world application of their knowledge.

Program structure:

Step 1: Interview with the trainer to determine a fit for the program. During the interview, the candidate will need to demonstrate his knowledge of Java, Git, and programming basics as well as B2 and a higher level of English. The task will be provided in advance to prepare. More details about the interview and registration can be found here.

Step 2: Upon a successful interview, the trainer will register the candidate for the next entry point of the CE learning path which is spread over 8 weeks with 8-12 hours of weekly time investment. The schedule for the complete 8 weeks with dates of live sessions will be shared with the student in advance.

Week 1 topics: Pricefx Application Basics; Architecture and Tool stack

• Live sessions: Learning path introduction & Student Q&A (3 hours)

• Business and Admin self-study; Toolstack study (~7 hours)

Week 2 topics: Master Data Configuration, Calculation Logics

• Topic-related live sessions (2 hours)

• Weeks' topics self-study (~ 6 hours)

• Knowledge test

Week 3 topics: Price Setting, Live Price Grids, Functions & Libraries Sandbox practice

• Live sessions: Inputs/Outputs; Pricelists & PriceGrids (~3 hours)

• Weeks' topics self-study (~6 hours)

• Revision and presentation of exercises in self-study

• Exit point for failed assignments students

Week 4 topics: Quotes, Quote Headers, Price Records

• Live sessions: Quote Header/Troubleshooting (4 hours)

• Weeks' topics self-study and sandbox practice (~7 hours)

• Knowledge test

Week 5 topics: Workflows, Analytics queries, Calculation flow

• Live sessions: Workflows/Analytics query (3 hours)

• Weeks' topics self-study and sandbox practice (~9 hours)

• Revision and presentation of exercises in self-study

• Exit point for failed assignments students

Week 6 topics: Dashboards, Master Processes (Calculated Field Sets, Data Loads)

• Live sessions: Dashboards/Master Processes (3 hours)

• Weeks' topics self-study and sandbox practice (~9,5 hours)

• Knowledge test

Week 7 topics: Final project and recap

• Live sessions: final project introduction/troubleshooting the assignment (3 hours)

• Sandbox work on final project (~12 hours)

Week 8 topics: Certification exam

Certification exam based on the content covered in the previous 7 weeks.

Post-certification:

Additional self-study materials from Advanced CE Learning Path will be available for all certified participants.