In November I attended my second IQMS Users group which was held in Las Vegas. It is always good to see the people we talk with on the phone and make that connection face-to-face, as well as see those folks with whom we go way back. As you no doubt have heard, this was our largest attendance for a Users Group ever! Congratulations to the attendees! After all, you are why we have this event and it should be taken advantage of.
This year had a few differences from years past. From all accounts the changes were well received and we look forward to continued improvement in all aspects. The one change that has been great was Community Server being the method of placing your ideas into usable Software Change Requests (SCRs) during the sessions. Believe me, the old way of taking notes and trying to capture the intent of the suggestion was very tough. First the notes have to be accurate. Then we had to be sure the person/company making the request was captured as we frequently needed further clarification from them. Also the voting at the event was done by a show of hands which did not give people in other sessions an opportunity to vote for or against.
Seeing the enthusiasm and hearing the ideas - both pros and cons - is in itself a way to weed out and clarify the intent of the changes. In addition, attendees have the opportunity to return to their businesses and poll the people who use the specific EnterpriseIQ modules and get their input before actual votes are cast. This makes for a cleaner, more efficient use of time and just an overall better process. It certainly leads to faster response time for everyone involved.
We are all very busy and it takes a commitment by management to have their employees, as well as themselves, attend this type of event. Here at IQMS we are very grateful to the companies that see the value of networking with the industries we serve and are glad for their participation. It is our belief that to maintain our position as a world leader in the Manufacturing ERP Software industrywe must continue to come up with innovative ways to capture the creativity of you the customer. To this end I think Community Server has given us the best method of seeing continued improvement of EnterpriseIQ as a company and provide the most outstanding ERP software available!
Author's note:
On another subject, sad, we lost one of our bright young programmers, Dustin Fields, while in Las Vegas. This news was absolutely crushing to the soul. I could not help but feel so very sad for Dustin's family. He will be missed in the world and certainly he is missed here at IQMS. Time waits for no man and so we should all seize the moment and be grateful for the opportunities we have. Let's look for ways to improve our life today and truly live a productive life while we can. Say hello to somebody you don't know today, you never know, they could be your friend tomorrow!
