For QAD customers and users, joining a regional user group enhances the effective use of the application in your company and contributes to your own professional and personal development. Functional and technical users can share insights and learn how others in their situation have addressed key business issues in their ERP implementations. The user groups connect customers with QAD partners who provide software and services that augment QAD’s capabilities, providing a return on investment and competitive advantages. In addition, users can connect with other like-minded individuals to compare business process issues and solutions and present their own expertise to the QAD regional user community.
If you are not already a member of one of the regional QAD user groups, take the time to investigate the one in your region and get connected. These groups are the ecosystem for the community of QAD users, providing opportunities to:
Learn Something New
At every conference, there are formal topic presentations as well as informal networking and information sharing. Specific topic areas span the functional and technical spectrum – browses and other UI productivity features, Reporting Framework, Excel data loaders, version upgrades, performance tuning, database administration, MMOG/LE compliance and many more.
Become a More Rounded Employee
By presenting a topic to an audience of user group attendees, members build skills in training, communication and managing Q&A sessions, as well as receiving constructive feedback from their peers. A supportive audience of peers with insightful questions can sharpen one’s presentation and public speaking skills and provide professional and personal development benefits.
Ask Questions and Receive Feedback
At the conferences, every topic presentation is interactive, and there are roundtable discussions, panel discussions and informal networking opportunities. Many attendees are able to take practical, detailed knowledge back to their companies to address functional and technical issues that they face.
Build Long Term Relationships and Have Fun!
The user group conferences are a way to renew friendships and acquaintances with those who actively participate in the group, with opportunities to share meals and refreshments with those who are new to the QAD community. Many QAD partners host customer gatherings to promote networking and celebrate business successes. The QAD community is unique, and is strengthened by the active participation and support of the companies and partners at the conferences.
Each regional QAD user group has its own leadership board and set of resources and works to find ways to offer all of the great benefits to the QAD user community at a very reasonable cost. It’s no accident that the words “community” and “ecosystem” come to mind when describing these user groups as they can provide a low cost, high value way to improve your effective use of QAD enterprise applications.
The MidWest User Group (MWUG), covering 12 states, offers its members access to post jobs, presentations from past conferences, newsletter archives and conference registration discounts.
For more information on how to get involved in the MidWest User Group (MWUG), please visit: http://www.midwestusergroup.org/
