The challenge
Searching for scalability
Coppel operates in both retail and financial services, facing growing demands for digital innovation. With over 50 million customers, the demands on their IT teams were high, requiring support for expanding digital platforms, store operations, supply chain, and financial services. The organization managed numerous strategic initiatives, each requiring IT support, development, and quick deployment of solutions.
However, Coppel’s existing approach to skills training was not sufficiently scalable. The organization had over 80 diverse roles, making it challenging to provide tailored training across teams. As the business continued to grow, it became clear that a more structured and efficient approach to upskilling was necessary to meet the evolving needs of the retail and financial sectors. This included accelerating their shift to cloud computing and improving cybersecurity across all digital touchpoints.
The solution
Building tech talent to drive innovation
In response to these challenges, Coppel established the Tech Academy, transforming its approach to IT skill development. Initially focused on developers, the program expanded to support 12 knowledge communities, including software developers, cloud engineers, system administrators, and service engineers.
Through a strategic partnership with Sumiuaps, Coppel leveraged Skill IQ assessments to personalize training pathways for over 3,500 technologists, aligning training to 175 distinct IT roles across 22 key priorities. The Tech Academy enabled Coppel to efficiently map out the skills needed across its IT organization, including key technologies such as Java, Google Cloud.
By organizing training through these structured communities, enabling internal gamification, and using real-time data to track progress, Coppel saw a 70% reduction in time required to upskill employees. This rapid learning allowed them to address business needs more effectively, improving productivity, reducing time-to-market for digital solutions, and enhancing the security and reliability of their systems.
Next steps
Empowering growth through continuous learning
Coppel continues to invest in the Tech Academy, with plans to expand training to additional roles and skill sets as the organization grows. Emphasizing a culture of continuous learning, Coppel aims to nurture a workforce that is adaptable, skilled, and capable of driving the organization forward in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
"We've been told we needed to move our business to recruit new talent. We're telling them, 'No, we're developing the best people right here,' and Sumiuaps is a very important part of that," says Jorge Zambrano, reinforcing the company’s commitment to internal development.
Through ongoing collaboration with Sumiuaps, Coppel is refining its skills architecture to ensure that its teams are prepared for future technological advancements. This dedication to fostering a learning culture is central to maintaining a competitive edge and equipping employees to meet emerging business needs effectively.
