Guide Technologies LLC and MK and Associates Hosted the The 24th annual XA User Conference

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Guide Technologies LLC

Dec 28, 2016, 11:00 ET


Cincinnati, Ohio (PRWEB) December 28, 2016 -- Maximizing the use and benefits of Infor XA can be complex—unless you have some friends to help out. At the 24th annual XA Conference in Grand Rapids, MI., more than 200 XA customers, Infor experts, and channel partners explored ways to get more out of their systems, find new applications, and learn new methods of using their Infor XA ERP solution.

And they enjoyed some holiday fun, including a holiday-themed dinner in the ballroom.

Dubbed “The XA User Holiday Conference” and hosted by Guide Technologies and MK & Associates, the conference took place Dec. 13-14 at the Amway Grand Hotel and was a great success, according to attendees.

“The Guide/MKA conference is always one of my favorites because it focuses on those topics that affect our day-to-day life,” said attendee Julie Shoemaker of Freeman Manufacturing & Supply Co., an Akron-based company that offers a comprehensive selection of materials for prototyping and mold-making. “I’m always able to find answers and solutions to my current issues and still gain insight into what’s coming next from Infor.”

Infor XA is one of the deepest, most comprehensive and secure ERP product for discrete manufacturers, a proven solution that draws on 35 years of functional development and industry experience. It offers total information access at the user level, along with embedded social networking, advanced integration architecture, and simplicity of administration.

A well-rounded agenda

The conference’s agenda covered:

  • The new enterprise financial solutions for XA
  • A customer case study on implementing release 9.2 and the enterprise financials
  • Customer perspectives on project successes
  • A “day in the life” with the new XA Financial suite
  • The new Infor Xi12 platform and XA future direction
  • Networking
  • Customer speakers, XA business specialists, and Infor executives

Highlights of the sessions, included Infor’s Ross Freeman (System i Strategy Leader and Senior Product Manager of ERP XA) presenting a roadmap for Infor XA and a Q&A sessions on the new XA Financials with Infor XA experts Julie Weeks-Freedman and David Foster.

Some favorite sessions

The 40 sessions spread out over two days were separated into five categories: XA topics, manufacturing, finance & administration, special solutions, and technology.

XA topics included:

  • “Material Logistics: Multi-Site Planning, Execution, and Logistics,” during which a multi-site logistics expert who has implemented Material Logistics around the world discussed how the application provides flexible and streamlined ways of handling multi-site and inter-site “demand and supply” issues.
  • “Supplier Exchange,” which examined how that application facilitates multiple procurement methodologies in a collaborative web environment with the XA system and suppliers.

Manufacturing topics included:

  • “MES, Quality Management, and Machine Monitoring” to show how the XA Manufacturing Execution System is integrating the shop floor and business.
  • “Electronic Kanban via Power-link,” exploring a feature that automatically generates purchase orders, manufacturing orders, repetitive schedules, and warehouse transfers.”

Finance and administration topics included:

  • “Enterprise Financials in Release 9.2: eGL/AP/AR,” looking at a feature that provides new functions and capability and requires new processes.
  • “Standard Costing for Non-Accountants,” examining a feature designed to take the confusion out of costing.

Special solutions sessions included:

  • “Electronic XA Forms and Automated Messages via the Web: Web/Forms.”
  • “Quotation Management System for XA via the Web and Workflows.”

And technology topics included:

  • “Using System-Link to Build Solutions Outside of XA.”
  • “System-Link Toolkit,” which explored the highly functional and easy-to-implement solution that simplifies the user & IT experience with System-Link.

Get ready for 2017

“It was good to reconnect with people at other XA customers who I have not seen in years. It was also very reassuring that the XA user base is still large and vibrant,” said Scott Richesson of Cincinnati Fan, which specializes in industrial fans and blowers manufactured to order.

The next Infor XA conference will be hosted by the Infor XA User Group in October 2017. Watch GuideTechnologies/Events for the latest event information.

Want to keep up with emerging trends in ERP software and get valuable tips for maximizing your ERP ROI? Visit Guide Technologies’ blog at http://www.guidetechnologies.com/blog/. We’ll periodically update it with useful information for your business and your industry.

Elsa Rodriguez, Guide Technologies LLC, http://www.guidetechnologies.com, +1 (513) 631-8800 Ext: 114, [email protected]