Allied Utility Network Helping member electric and gas utilities identify and introduce new RetailCo products is the primary mission of Allied Utility Network (Allied). Utilities across the nation rely on Allied for help with retail products for utility consumer and business customers. Allied, in turn, relies on Lassiter & Associates to assist with product evaluation and planning. "We create numerous product opportunities each year, and rely on Lassiter & Associates to prepare marketing plans for each of these products," says Warren Oldham, Vice President of Product Development. When itís time to develop a new plan, Lassiter & Associates knows just what to do to turn out a custom document that meets my needs every time. Their comprehension is such that we donít have to spend days or weeks getting someone to understand our needs. They are flexible, highly skilled, and donít require a lot of oversight." "In the utility business," Oldham explains, "thoroughness is the way of life. To accompany each marketing plan, Lassiter & Associates delivers a custom business modeling tool that allows our utilities to plug in the variables that describe their customer base and other assumptions. The resulting financial projections take a lot of the guesswork out of product decisions and help the utilities select the product mix that will deliver the best combination of financial and other benefits. The Lassiter consultantsí skill level in developing the custom models is exceptional. Why use Lassiter & Associates After working with Lassiter & Associates for several years, Oldham is more convinced than ever of the firmís consistent level of quality. "I have worked with similar firms in the past, and Lassiter & Associates offers the highest quality consultants and delivers the best quality plan in terms of substance and depth. Also, I know that the combination of talent at Lassiter & Associates means that weíll have the best skill set assigned for each task. Furthermore, their rates are reasonable, considering the level of expertise provided." Why outsource Why not do their planning in-house? According to Oldham, "By the time we hired and trained someone to be as effective as Lassiter & Associates, we would have made a huge investment of time. And what if that person leaves or is reassigned? We would have to start over. There was no ramp-up time associated with Lassiter & Associates, and the firm is attentive to establishing backup coverage, insulating us from the disruption turnover can cause." About Allied Utility Network Allied Utility Network is a national marketing and implementation firm that specializes in helping electric and gas utilities design, develop, deliver and manage a full range of core and retail products and services to their customers. Alliedís HomeVantageÆ network supports consumer products and services and its ProvantaSM network focuses on business-to-business products and services. Participating utilities include investor-owned utilities, municipal systems and electric cooperatives such as Cobb Energy, GA.; Colorado Springs Utilities, CO; EnergyUnited, NC; IDACORP, Energy Solutions (an affiliate of Idaho Power Company), ID; Omaha Public Power District, NE; Snapping Shoals Energy, GA; Consumers Energy, MI; Memphis Light, Gas & Water, TN; Vectren Energy, IN; and Orlando Utilities, FL.