by Jeff Shelton
In March of this year, the QAD Midwest User Group (MWUG) held its largest in-person conference since 2017. This was no easy feat, coming off the heels of a pandemic that shut down all QAD user group in-person gatherings for a full two years! Our Spring 2023 conference was a unique, value-enhanced experience with THREE significant features never seen at previous user group meetings:
Hands-On/Demo Area. For the first time, the MWUG provided dedicated work-stations running QAD with consultants on hand to guide attendees through various features and modules, including:
QAD Supplier Management, Adaptive ERP, Supply Chain Planning, Digital Commerce, Process Intelligence, Global Trade & Transportation, EQMS (Quality Management System), and Redzone – QAD’s latest connected workforce solution that uses digital technologies to connect and empower workers, maximize productivity and simplify daily operations.
Dedicated Supply Chain Track. Another new feature of the MWUG conference this year was an entire two-day track dedicated to Supply Chain – with key sessions focusing on: Global Trade Compliance, Transportation Management, Financial Forecast & Operations Planning, The Changing Face of International Trade, Supplier Transparency & Compliance, and Quality Management (EQMS) Implementation Case Study.
QAD Platinum Sessions. QAD helped boost the value of the Spring user group event by offering private one-on-one sessions with QAD executives and member companies at the conference.
Without question, the additional features significantly boosted attendance. We had 120 total QAD customer attendees and a total attendance of 254, including our vendors, sponsors, and QAD representatives. Takeaways from the conference proved invaluable, with many highly-rated session reviews and positive feedback on the networking opportunities with peers and QAD solution consultants.
The VALUE of the QAD User Groups
As highlighted by the MWUG Conference above, the QAD regional user groups’ critical value is bringing QAD customers and other stakeholders together in the QAD environment to provide beneficial training, education, and networking opportunities. QAD is instrumental in providing the resources and support to make these events successful. The promotional support of our vendors and sponsors help make the event the most cost-effective investment for QAD customers. For over 20 years, the cost for our customer members to attend the Midwest User conferences has remained steady at only $95/person. A phenomenal (and nominal) low price for a two-day conference! Member registration fees for the other regional user group conferences, WECUG (West Coast) and SEUG (Southeast) are also significantly discounted.
While the value and benefit of the user groups are driven primarily by the bi-annual conferences, user group members also receive access to several other benefits – afforded primarily through online access to secure member portals on each group’s respective websites. These benefits include:
- Searchable online member directory
- Resource Guide
- Free job postings
- Access to conference archives, slides, and handouts
- Access to member and user group-published webinars
- Quarterly user group newsletters
Membership in the QAD user groups is corporate, which gives any employee of the membership company access to member benefits, including discounts on attendance for the bi-annual conferences. Annual membership dues range from $175 – $250 per company – a nominal investment considering the education and networking opportunities afforded.
To learn more – and join the QAD user group in your regional area, please visit:
Midwest – www.midwestusergroup.org
West Coast – www.wecug.com
Southeast – www.seug.org
Jeff Shelton is the administrator for the QAD Regional User Groups.
