Notes from the Chair

Presenting Synergy

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 21:17:51 GMT

"None of us is as smart as all of us"

~Ken Blanchard, The One Minute Manager

It is excellent timing that my first opportunity to contribute to the TUG Notes from the Chair comes just as we’ve opened registration for TUG Connects 2023, which will take place June 5-8 in Palm Springs, CA.

This year, we’re focused on synergy—what Steven Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, calls “ what happens when one plus one equals ten or a hundred or even a thousand. ” Synergy is what TUG is all about .

We can meet the challenges we’re facing in the distribution sector through synergy.

We’re all distributors, even though we’re in different industries. We all face many of the same challenges—even those beyond IT.

dealing with supply chain disruptions
recruiting and keeping employees
shifting to remote or hybrid workforces

Many TUG members are also going through or considering upgrades to CSD or CSDE, which can be daunting. I have to say that when my company migrated to SXe in 2008, it was the most challenging period of my professional life—something I said I never wanted to do again. Yet here we are again.

This is where it is great to have an organization like TUG offering additional support and advice. Because we don’t do major migrations many times in our careers, we don’t know what we don’t know. I will be able to talk to peers who have gone through or are facing the same challenges.

Only some TUG members are involved in an ERP migration. Many are happy with their ERPs and have no immediate plans to upgrade. Even so, there is almost no challenge that a TUG member has not faced, so the network groups are a great place to look for best practices and solutions in every area of distribution.

Synergy amplifies your influence with Infor.

Infor is a massive organization, and it’s easy to be a small fish in that pond. But working through TUG, even the smallest company has a voice. The TUG Board meets with Infor every month to bring up the issues challenging our members.

TUG is increasingly seen as a thought leader in distribution.
A great example of that is the Enhancement Request System. One of our past Chairs, David White, played a major role in Infor’s development of that addition to the distribution platform.

We’ve created more opportunities to synergize than ever.

The COVID-19 pandemic has few silver linings, but one of them is that it prompted TUG to greatly expand opportunities for members to learn and connect online. We’ve developed more webinars, workshops, supplier showcases, network groups, and forums that can keep the energy of TUG Connects going all year long.

Now that the TUG Connects 2023 countdown has begun, we’re recruiting for the committees and task forces that are so important to make the event a success. You can find out more about those opportunities here.

TUG is a resource for all areas of your business, not just IT.

Network groups and forums are open to anyone from a TUG member organization. I encourage members to get involved.

It does not matter whether you are a long-time TUG member or new to this great organization; if you’d like to contribute to making TUG Connects 2023 the best event ever or if you want to share ways to make the TUG experience better, now’s your chance.

Ken Blanchard, the author of The One-Minute Manager, said it well: “None of us is as smart as all of us.”

Until next time,

Mark

The Year of the Comeback

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 22:03:49 GMT

Dear Friends:

After the two difficult years we’ve all been through, I am so pleased to be able to end my tenure as TUG Chair by celebrating The Year of the Comeback.

I started my term just a few weeks after we all went into lockdown in response to a global pandemic, the likes of which we’d never seen in our lifetimes. I got a first-hand view of how our industry stepped up, our organization shifted gears, and our TUG community held together to help each other weather the storm.

And last month, when many of us could finally gather in person again at TUG Connects 2022, I got to share in the sweet moments of connection and reconnection as we all got to network in the way we all needed and wanted to.

In so many ways, it feels like we’ve come through the fire together and emerged stronger for it.

One of my biggest goals as TUG Chair was to expand our membership, not only by bringing new companies into the fold, but by connecting more deeply with more people within member companies. We’ve accomplished that by adding deep value in so many ways including:

Upgrading our this website and our community portal to bring you more focused content and discussion topics than ever before, every day of the year, and which every person in your organization can benefit.
Establishing and refining our webinar series, TUG Connects 365 by hosting 84 webinars since 2020, totaling over 2,100 attendees and 3,800 after-views.
Making most of the session content from TUG CONNECTS 2022: momentum available to stream online. This makes it so much easier to reinforce what you learned, catch up on material you missed, and most of all share it with members of your entire teams!

When you talk to our amazing association managers, Karen and Gary Brown, they’ll tell you we’ve accomplished more over the last 24 months than in any two-year period in the past. I think they’re right. We got it done because we had to, but also because we saw the opportunities to deliver a better value proposition for our members—and once we saw it, we seized it. From the conference and the portal, to an expanded social media presence, to last year’s virtual TUG Connects, I’m proud of all we’ve been able to do help members connect, broaden and deepen our relationship with Infor, and make TheUserGroup.org an essential, year-round tool for the success of your business.

I know that as he takes on the reins as TUG Chair, Mark Law will do a fabulous job building on the foundation of success we’ve built up—over the last two years, and decades of strong, dedicated TUG Chairs before me. And I won’t be too far away. I’ve learned so much from TUG, I’ve seen my professional network grow exponentially since I joined the Board, and I know that by staying involved, I’ll continue to gain as much value as I give back.

If you haven’t yet had that experience first-hand, I encourage you to step up and join a TUG committee this year or apply for a Network Leadershi p or TUG Board of Director s position. They are rewarding roles that will leave you with new friends, colleagues, and insights that will last a lifetime.

I hope you all stay healthy and have a fantastic summer!

Brad Maguire

Vice President of Information Technology
American Paper & Twine

Chairman of the Board, TheUserGroup.org

June 2020 - June 2022

Registration for TUG Connects 2022 is Open!

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 22:04:12 GMT

Dear Friends,

I hope you will all join in my excitement to finally meet up with friends and colleagues in person again at this year’s event from April 18-21! With the dates for TUG Connects 2022 being confirmed, the words momentum and engagement will continue to resonate as the conference approaches.

Conference registration is officially open , and we could not have found a better venue than the beautiful Diplomat Beach Resort (curio collection by Hilton) in Hollywood, Florida! It’s a perfect spot for networking, re-establishing old friendships, and meeting new colleagues after two years of connecting virtually.

That eagerness we all share, to meet all together in one place, goes to the heart of our main conference theme. To me, momentum is about moving forward again, building on the good and bad of the last two years to drive our businesses forward.

Our virtual event in 2021 was a brilliant success, and TUG Connects 365 continues to create virtual opportunities for us all to connect from our own desks, all year round. But despite that convenience, nothing will take the place of what we can learn from face-to-face conversations and networking opportunities that we took for granted before the pandemic. You can look forward to a reinvigorating combination of peer learning and informal gathering at TUG Connects 2022.

Our format for 2022 is tailor-made to create unparalleled engagement across the TUG community, building on what we’ve learned over the last 18 months of online events. We’re aiming for an event that bridges the convenience of virtual content with the rich experience—at this point, the sheer delight—of the traditional face-to-face conference that so many of us crave. General Sessions and Breakouts will be recorded and posted online after the conference ends to be re-consumed or shared within our companies. Content will be repurposed throughout the year into the TUG Connects 365 platform. The bottom line: 2022 will be the year when TUG "connects" in more ways than ever before.

Here’s what I find most exciting as I look ahead to a new year.

After living in a digital cocoon for nearly two years, I know there is no way to fully replace the interactive, two-way experience of a live event with a digital format, no matter how hard we try.

I can’t wait to see you, share a laugh, sit down for a drink, and learn together in April at TUG Connects 2022 Momentum .

Until then I wish each of you and your families a wonderful Holiday Season and a very Happy New Year!

Stream TUG Connects 2021 On Demand

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 20:34:07 GMT

My biggest takeaway from TUG CONNECTS 2021 was how powerfully TheUserGroup.org delivers knowledge, networks, and value to member companies.

We serve distributors by going wide , with a global community of practice where members share their ideas and solutions every day.

We help member companies stay strong by going deep , with tailored educational content for every part of the business—from IT to finance, from the warehouse to the executive suite.

We’ve made good use of online channels to build a year-round conversation —where a 10-day, all-digital conference is one important gathering point for a community that never stops meeting, discussing, sharing, and learning.

That’s why I’m so excited that registration for TUG Connects 2021 is still open. Yes, you read that right. The conference is in the rear-view mirror, but the knowledge and education we all gathered to share are still relevant.

If you’ve already registered for the conference, you still have access to all the keynote speeches and educational sessions that made TUG Connects a milestone experience for everyone who attended.

If you still haven’t signed up, it isn’t too late—the conference is still one of the best sources of distribution industry education on the planet, and the library is live online until October 31.

Conference highlights include:

Keynote addresses by Infor CEO Kevin Samuelson and senior executives Doug Bellin, Dan DuFault, Nancy Mettenberger, Eric Ryerson, Kelly Squizzero, and Catherine Henn;

Industry expert sessions by economist Conor Lokar, inventory management expert Grant Howard, operations and logistics wizard Andrew Weith, and tech advisor James Spellos;

Over 250 Focus sessions on an array of topical issues, from eCommerce best practices and warehouse operations to when and whether to return to the office.

So many of us are looking forward to meeting up in person at TUG CONNECTS 2022. But there’s a lot to love about digital formats—we saw a big surge in registrations this year, with companies realizing they could assign many more staff to pick the sessions they needed to attend without disrupting their workdays.

That means the best choice of digital or face-to-face formats is all of the above, 365 days per year. The learning, information sharing, and collaboration to solve problems all happen wherever TUG members gather—in an online forum, or at a live event next year where we’ll be able to see each other and catch up on two years of crisis, persistence, and resilience.

The numbers tell the story about our online webinar series, TUG Connects 365. In the 12 months leading up to the conference, we hosted a mind-boggling 87 sessions for a total of 3,989 live participants. Those webinar recordings also drew a total of 5,754 views, nearly double the number who attended in real-time.

And of course, our TUG Member Forum is still the cornerstone of our digital presence, the place where the principle of users helping users runs wide and deep every day. The Forum has 20 active Networking Groups spanning every key technology and business function. So far this year, we’ve hosted 600 unique discussions that have generated more than 1,500 posts.

By supporting your participation in TUG, your company has already taken the first essential step to keeping up with a permanently disrupted business environment. Your next assignment is to make sure you get the most out of your TUG membership and to encourage your colleagues in every other part of the business to do the same. Member companies can register an unlimited number of their employees on the TUG Community Forum at no additional charge.

We hear again and again that joining TUG, attending webinars and conference sessions, and participating in the Member Forum is like having an incredibly versatile, knowledgeable consultant on call 24/7/365. (And by the way, whoever heard of a consultant who can answer any question within minutes and never sends an invoice?)

If you haven’t registered for TUG CONNECTS 2021, sign up today , and get ready for an intensive learning experience that will help you build for success.

Chairman of the Board

TheUserGroup.org

Brad Maguire

Director of IT

American Paper and Twine

TUG Connects 2021 meets TC365

Sat, 01 May 2021 17:15:56 GMT

When I look at the sudden changes we’ve all been through over the last year, the shifts and adaptations we’ve put in place in our businesses and day-to-day lives, two things are crystal clear.

We’ve all been better at meeting a huge, unprecedented challenge because of the ideas, information, and encouragement we’ve taken away from our TUG community.

And that experience makes it very clear that TUG’s biggest strength is the size and breadth of that community.

That’s why my top priority as Chairman of TheUserGroup.org is to take every opportunity to expand our membership. We’re going to continue reaching out to companies that haven’t yet joined to help them understand what they’re missing.

And we’ll be aiming deep as well as wide, making sure the distributors that are already a part of the TUG family are maximizing the value they take away.

When I first encountered TUG over 20 years ago, one of the first things I heard was that it’s all about users helping users . It’s the place to go with a question about your Infor software or a challenge with a business process, knowing you’re bound to find a friend or colleague who’s already had to confront and solve the same issue.

That only works because TUG has a critical mass of distribution professionals who are committed to sharing their knowledge, supporting each other’s success, and helping each other develop new skills to advance their companies and careers.

As we expand our membership, this rich community just keeps getting stronger.

The pandemic has opened up a whole new set of strategies to continue building our professional network. Nothing will ever replace our beloved annual conference, TUG Connects. There’s nothing like the face-to-face conversations, eye contact, and handshakes when distributors get to meet in person.

But the need to enhance the value that TUG provides became evident. TUG Connects 365 , the new cornerstone of our virtual platform, was born and opened up a whole new set of opportunities for the dozens of colleagues in our companies who can gain from the TUG community but haven’t had the opportunity to attend the conference. Together with the Online Forum, TUG lives and breathes 365 days every year.

We have come full circle since March 2020, and our TUG CONNECTS 2021 conference is back, completely virtual. Over the last year, TUG Connects 365 has taught us a lot about how to be successful in this format, and we are ready to bring the same content-rich conference that we are all accustomed to. With Network Meetings, Education Sessions, Case Studies, Product Demonstrations, Roundtables, and Keynote Speakers, the reach this year will dig deep into every distributor’s organization, from our Executive Teams all the way to our End Users.

Over 250 sessions to choose from, all without the travel, from the comfort of your own chair.

This is the reason TUG is offering the opportunity for a Full Company-Wide Registration at a cost less than the typical in-person conference.

Live interactive sessions will span over 10 days from May 10-21, for less than 3 hours per day. All sessions will be available post-conference for 90 days to those that register.

We’ve already spent the last several years broadening and deepening the mix of content at TUG Connects, with sessions on human resources, finance, executive leadership, and more. Those early efforts put us in a great position to keep the community together and even extend our reach when the pandemic hit.

Once this pandemic is finally in the rear-view mirror, I look forward to us all shaking hands again. But for now, the virtual platform is the only way we can stay together while we’re apart, and we’ve been working incredibly hard to build a premium virtual experience with the same content and networking opportunities you need and expect.

Don’t miss out on this tremendous learning opportunity for you and your entire company!

Chairman of the Board

TheUserGroup.org

Brad Maguire

Director of IT

American Paper and Twine

Two Blockbuster Announcements

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 19:59:53 GMT

You know TUG has a lot going on when I have to combine two blockbuster announcements in one ' Note From the Chair.'

As we approach the end of a stressful and unprecedented year, there are two things you can do to set yourself up for a successful 2021:

Save the date for a completely virtual TUG CONNECTS 2021 , a two-week event streaming direct to your desktop or smartphone May 10-21, 2021.

Watch this space for news on the new TUG member forum that will transform your experience and super-charge your networking and learning as a member of TheUserGroup.org.

TUG CONNECTS 2021 will bring us full circle from last year’s conference. For many of us, the week in Dallas, Texas in March 2020 was the last live event we attended before the COVID-19 pandemic hit full force.

In the months since, TUG’s association management team has been immersed in the study and formal certifications of Virtual Meeting Management and Digital Event Strategy -learning best practices, industry standards, and most importantly, what works well and what doesn’t translate to online events. This has opened up a whole new horizon on what TUG can achieve in engaging our membership year-round—and how we can up our game by combining online and in-person experiences in the future.

In May, we’ll bring together a jam-packed conference that runs just two to three hours per day, Monday to Friday over the two-week period. It’s a flexible format that will bring you the cutting-edge knowledge you count on from TUG CONNECTS, delivered over a virtual platform to connect with friends and colleagues from anywhere in the world, then let you get on with your regular workday.

If you’re thinking about how much you’ll miss seeing everyone in person—we will, too; and we will meet again!

But the virtual format carries some powerful advantages:

Your travel costs will fall to zero.

You won’t have to block off a full week at the office.

This means that, for the first time, those barriers won’t limit the number of people in your company who can pick the sessions they need, mark their calendars, and discover the benefits of being a part of the TUG community.

Watch for details on a bundled registration package that will help you take advantage of a strange but powerful moment of opportunity.

NEW TUG FORUMS

By the time we all gather for TUG Connects, we’ll have something big to celebrate, which brings me to our next big announcement. We already upgraded our public website earlier this fall. In January, I’m excited to announce, we will launch our new TUG Member Forum.

TheUserGroup.org has always been about year-round networking and connections, the place to find colleagues and friends who have already sorted out the business issues or technical questions that you’re trying to address. The upgraded Member Forum will bring a fresh new look and powerful new functionality such as the ability to:

Better customize your member profile

More easily find and connect with TUG colleagues with the knowledge and expertise you are looking for

Share rich Distribution and Technical content such as files, photos, video, and articles

It’ll be a cornerstone of TUG’s commitment to delivering the knowledge, ideas, and member contact that helps you do your job and grow your company.

While we look ahead to a recovery year in 2021, I hope you’re planning to rest and recharge during the holiday season. We’ve all been working hard to keep our spirits up and our businesses running, and we know it’s been a challenging year for all. Stay safe, stay strong, and count on TUG to be at the center of your plans to bounce back better in the new year.

Happy Holidays and a Very Healthy New Year!

Chairman of the Board

TheUserGroup.org

Brad Maguire

Director of IT

American Paper and Twine

When the Going Gets Tough

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 18:15:04 GMT

When the going gets tough, the tough hold it together, and the tougher will thrive.

Dear Friends:

When the going gets tough, the tough hold it together, and the tougher will thrive. That’s the big takeaway from distributors’ continuing response to COVID-19.

TUG conducted an initial survey in May, to find out how members were responding to the initial phase of the pandemic, then repeated the same survey in July. The results point to a smart, resilient industry that adapted fast, stepped up to meet an unprecedented challenge, and went above and beyond minimum requirements to protect staff and customer safety while keeping essential goods flowing.

The July snapshot showed the depth of those changes, and the grit and professionalism that TUG members brought to the situation. Some key highlights include:

More than three-quarters of employees were working from home, even though fewer than one-quarter were required to do so by state guidelines.
Just over 80% of the companies surveyed were requiring masks to be worn in the workplace, at least some of the time.
Just over 60% required them all the time—about half of them to comply with state requirements, the other half to meet their own safety standards.
And the bottom line: Over 52% of July respondents had a positive sales outlook for the remainder of 2020, compared to only 24% in May. In fact, by July, 25% were projecting even better sales this year than last. A truly remarkable turnaround!

The July results also showed distributors laying the foundations for future growth, with 47% selling new products specifically related to the pandemic, business travel restrictions beginning to relax, and 74% of the companies with an online presence reporting steady or growing eCommerce sales. And many of the respondents pointed to TUG as a key factor in their success.

“Continue to do what you’ve been doing with an active webinar agenda—thank you for being a great resource,” one member said.

“Keep the channels of communication open for the membership,” another distributor told us. “We do rely on each other for insight, shared experiences, and general camaraderie. Whether we realize it or not, we need the interaction more during this time of ‘stay apart’."

Those comments and many others like them hit home for me. Partly because they align with my own experience over the spring and summer. But also because they reflect the deliberate strategy the TUG Board introduced in the early weeks of the pandemic.

Even then, we knew the best value we could offer was the same that we always bring to the table—that this community is always about members helping members.

We’ve always said TUG is the place to bring your toughest question, knowing you’ll probably find someone who already has it figured out. The only difference with COVID-19 is that the issues are bigger and the stakes are higher. With TUG Connects 365 in place and our webinar series going strong, it’s never been easier to find the answers you need.

And so many of you have been stepping up. The incredibly high level of response to both surveys told me that, in spite of long hours and hectic days, you saw the value of contributing your knowledge and data to your professional community. Now, we have survey results that every one of us can use to benchmark our own companies’ pandemic strategies.

Many of you have been asking what to expect when TUG Connects convenes early next year. The Board is monitoring the situation, trying to cope with the same uncertainty you expressed in the survey when we asked about 2021 travel plans.

But one thing is sure—the show will go on, even if it’s too soon to say whether TUG Connects 2021 will take place face-to-face, virtually, or as a hybrid of both. It’ll take some time to sort out the details, but you can count on the quality education and networking that you always take away from TUG conferences.

Chairman of the Board

TheUserGroup.org

Brad Maguire

Director of IT

American Paper and Twine

Keeping Afloat

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:41:17 GMT

In turbulent times, TUG and technology keep us afloat

Dear friends:

It’s a turbulent but exciting time ahead as we re-create the future for TheUseGroup.org. Our companies are facing risks and opportunities that none of us could have imagined when I first began shifting into the role of TUG Chairman.

But if there’s one thing every distributor does well, it’s our agility. We know we always have to be masters at adapting to change. So while no one expected to spend 2020 navigating a global pandemic, we’re no strangers to volatility. It almost feels like we’ve been training for this all our lives. And always, at every step along the way, TUG is right beside us with knowledge, resources, and a commitment to Users helping Users succeed and thrive.

My own company, American Paper and Twine, is an excellent example of what we’ve all dealt with. We’ve been in business for 94 years. We’ve seen a lot of new trends and innovations come and go. By the time the pandemic hit, we had already begun discussions around offering work-from-home flexibility to our employees, knowing it was a trend that many were beginning to expect.

We figured work-from-home would gradually come …until suddenly — it was right on top of us. When that happened, we knew what to do. We were ready for a fast, effective pivot — just one of many examples of the agility we have exhibited in the last few months. And we knew we could work alongside our friends and colleagues in the TUG community to help each other through.

My company’s experience was one small marker for the broader change our user group is going through with TUG Connects 365. It ties in with everything that drew me to TUG in the first place: that TUG itself is a lifeline for every distributor, and that the larger the membership, the more we all gain from a more extensive Network of Peers.

My respect for TUG dates back long before my work with a member company, to when I joined Infor in 1996 as a programmer, then an analyst, then eventually a project manager and director. By the time I joined American Paper and Twine as Director of Information Technology in 2011, I’d gained a lot of experience working with Infor products. I’d become familiar with TUG. And from the very beginning, I’ve received tremendous experience, knowledge, and value along the way.

After nearly a decade in this job, I enjoy being a part of a great management team and helping to drive my company’s future. I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish from a productivity and customer service standpoint—not only through the pandemic but in the wake of the tornado that hit Nashville, Tennessee in early March, just a week before TUG Connects 2020 and two weeks before the lockdowns began.

Everyone on our team knows that technology has kept us afloat through a time of great turmoil, and TUG has solidified our ability to make the best use of our Infor software. As TUG Chairman over the next two years, I’m committed to bringing a more extensive professional network together in an increasingly virtual environment, so that every TUG member can take away the same massive value I’ve received from this organization.

In taking over the chair, I also know that I stand on the shoulders of a long list of talented, committed leaders, most recently my good friend Jamie Hutt-Semple, General Manager of Kerr Controls in Truro, Nova Scotia. Jamie has promised us all that he is not saying farewell, and I’m already enjoying working with him in his new advisory role as Immediate Past Chair.

Chairman of the Board

TheUserGroup.org

Brad Maguire

Director of IT

American Paper and Twine

This is not farewell.

Sat, 23 May 2020 00:00:56 GMT

Dear Friends;

As my two years as TUG Chair come to an end, the biggest takeaway I keep coming back to is that this is not farewell.

I'm closing out my term with a great deal of satisfaction at what we've achieved together, in spite of a sudden, overwhelming challenge that none of us could have foreseen or fully prepared for. I leave with an incredible sense of gratitude for my colleagues, partners, friends, and allies who've worked so hard and so well to keep building TUG over the last 24 months. And I'm looking forward to seeing what's next, to discovering how I can keep contributing to our community's continuing journey.

As I write in late May, I know that any talk about the future begins with what's right in front of us. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended so many of the systems, practices, and assumptions we took for granted, right up to the moment when several hundred of us got home from TUG CONNECTS 20/20 in mid-March.

But we're TUG. We're strong and resilient. And when the crisis hit, you stepped up. Nearly 100 of you filled out our member survey on post-COVID practices. The overwhelming majority of you were taking steps to keep your customers and employees safe and functioning, with 84% working from home, 79% banning some or all workplace visitors, 81% taking temperature checks at the door, 84% providing masks and 55% requiring them for some or all employees, 85% still making deliveries, and 63% offering curbside pickup.

And TUG is confronting the challenge head-on. We will continue monitoring the pandemic closely before we announce the location for TUG CONNECTS 2021. Meanwhile, our new webinar series, TUG CONNECTS 365, will expand our online education to two sessions per week, delivering the knowledge and networking opportunities that have always been the cornerstones of our TUG community.

Coping with uniquely tough times begins with making the very best use of all the resources at our disposal. That's why it will be so important for you to pay attention to Infor's Enhancement Request System (ERS) over the month of June.

Last summer, I told you how TUG had helped drive the ERS' evolution as a platform for Infor users to post ideas, endorse existing ones, and encourage their colleagues and peers to vote up the best. I explained that while TUG members had done a great job of socializing enhancement requests to get them onto the initial list of development priorities for CloudSuite Distribution, we had fallen a bit short when it came to shaping Infor's final priority list.

With 235 potential enhancements that made it onto the initial list, "I feel very comfortable letting the distribution community know that they did the best job in socializing and endorsing their enhancement requests," Toni Kennedy, Infor's biggest proponent for user feedback, told us at the time. But the month of June is the prioritization phase, and that's when we get to have our say on the final shape of Infor's development priorities for the year.

Last August, I advised you to "stay tuned...because next year's vote will be here before we know it." Now, the moment has arrived. We know that Infor's ERS is a great channel to make our voices heard and build on the power of the TUG network. This is our moment to click through to the ERS platform, cast your votes, and make change happen.

Visit the Infor Concierge today and check out the ERS section.

TUG Chair

Jamie Hutt-Semple

VP Operations
Kerr Controls LTD

Are you ready for the next Roaring 20's?

Fri, 22 May 2020 11:37:25 GMT

If your year has started out the way mine has, you know why they're calling this decade

the Next Roaring Twenties.

Dear Friends,

If your year has started out the way mine has, you know why they're calling this decade the Next Roaring Twenties.

We're already in an era of massive, disruptive change that feels like it's accelerating by the minute. The four days you spend in Dallas at TUG Connects 20/20 will help you sharpen your focus for the next 10 years.

The shifts we're already seeing are as current, and often as alarming, as the day's headlines - from transportation to energy, global finance to climate change, artificial intelligence to 21st century manufacturing, all in an era of sweeping generational change. The disruption is happening now. Whether your company thrives or collapses is up to you.

Your future is in your hands because you get to build your future one decision at a time. And you can count on your peers, colleagues, and friends attending TUG Connects to help you sort through the challenges, learn about the creative solutions available to you, plan a course of action, then move strategically and decisively to make the positive changes your company needs.

It all begins with four days in Dallas. So if you still haven't signed up for TUG Connects 20/20, register today. And persuade at least one or two of your colleagues to join you.

It's the single most important thing you'll do this year to keep your company on track and successful, at a moment that calls for knowledge, innovation, and smart, effective business planning.

Chairman of the Board

TheUserGroup.org

Jamie Hutt-Semple

VP Operations

Kerr-Controls, LTD

Notes from the Chair

Presenting Synergy

"None of us is as smart as all of us"

~Ken Blanchard, The One Minute Manager

The Year of the Comeback

Registration for TUG Connects 2022 is Open!

Stream TUG Connects 2021 On Demand

TUG Connects 2021 meets TC365

Two Blockbuster Announcements

When the Going Gets Tough

When the going gets tough, the tough hold it together, and the tougher will thrive.

Keeping Afloat

In turbulent times, TUG and technology keep us afloat

This is not farewell.

Are you ready for the next Roaring 20's?

If your year has started out the way mine has, you know why they're calling this decade

﻿ the Next Roaring Twenties.

the Next Roaring Twenties.