Background
Businesses of all shapes and sizes rely heavily on their accounting software to help them manage the demanding world of tax, billing and payments. The past decade has seen these aspects of business finance become increasingly tech driven, and the Sage product team is used to meeting the changing needs of its customers.
Today it’s AI which is revolutionising accounting and creating new challenges. So Sage turned to its long-term training partners, Tarigo, to support the development of the product skills it needs now as well as in the future.
The Challenge
How to keep pace in a rapidly changing industry.
Like many software businesses, Sage operates in an environment where customer expectations, regulations and technology are constantly shifting, and the rise of AI is vastly accelerating the pace of change.
Product managers are now expected to move faster, make smarter decisions and respond more quickly to the demands of the market, while also mastering the AI tools to help them get there.
“We needed to give our product managers and product owners a strong foundation in product skills as well as the confidence to succeed in an AI enabled industry.” Damian Robinson, Product and Technology Learning Director at Sage.
The Solution
Tailored learning to build industry expertise
Sage worked closely with Tarigo to assess current product capabilities and skills gaps, and to develop a product training programme which would evolve alongside the business.
Tarigo’s regular bootcamps are a key element of the programme. These AI infused, practically focused intensive training sessions cover all aspects of product management and take delegates through the entire product lifecycle, from a product’s creation right through to its retirement.
“The bootcamps combine product management fundamentals with practical discussions around AI which are valuable for everyone in the team, no matter how experienced. The sessions open our eyes to the art of the possible.”
– Damian Robinson, Product and Technology Learning Director at Sage.
Exposure to emerging industry trends
To help the Sage team stay ahead of the curve, Tarigo features the latest developments and industry trends in product management in its monthly newsletters, and hosts community talks where leaders from Sage and speakers from Tarigo’s network share best practice through ‘fireside chat’ interviews.
The talks provide the opportunity for the Sage team to gain new perspectives from product managers in the software sector as well as other industries.
“Tarigo arranged a session with a product manager from an organisation with extensive experience of automating parts of the product lifecycle, which was really useful for our team.” Damian Robinson, Product and Technology Learning Director at Sage.
The Impact
Senior leaders have deeper insight into where best to focus learning and development, while product owners and managers are constantly refining their capabilities. The product team has a much clearer understanding of how to maximise the potential of AI.
The long-term partnership with Tarigo is enabling Sage to prepare its product managers for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.
“Tarigo is a consistent programme that Sage can trust. The team understands our business, knows our customers’ pain points and adapts to the fast pace of change. Working with Tarigo is like meeting an old friend who knows us well.” Damian Robinson, Product and Technology Learning Director at Sage.
