Infor reached a new high at the North American Channel Partner Summit 2011 in Orlando, Florida, July 13–15. With the theme “Business Beyond Boundaries,” the event attracted more than 360 attendees, including 200 Channel Partners.

The 2011 summit marked a new era for Infor and our Channel Partners, with “new” dominating the kickoff session—new technologies, new markets, new branding, new leadership, new opportunities, new relationships, new growth. Infor presented key points such as product update information, the Center of Excellence availability to Channel Partners, an introduction to Infor10, and the launch of the Infor Partner Network (IPN). 

During breakout sessions, with dedicated sessions for Infor10 EAM, Infor10 ERP Express (VISUAL), Infor10 ERP Business (SyteLine), Infor10 ERP Enterprise (LN), Infor10 Distribution Business (SX.e), Infor10 Distribution Express (FACTS), Infor10 Distribution iBusiness (A+), financials, System i, and LATAM partners, we discussed strategies and ways to execute those strategies. Inforians heard a different perspective on products, sales, and marketing from our Channel Partners.  Our partners learned about product updates and the new IPN, as well as tips on how to boost revenues and profits with Infor products.

In the expo hall, partners could meet a number of Infor teams, learn more about the IPN, and hear from some of our other partners. Exhibitors included IPN Get Started, IPN Get Trained, ITPN Get Selling, IPN Marketing, Infor Financing, Infor EPAK, Infor Barcode, and some of our solution partners.

The most popular aspect of the Infor Channel Summit was the opportunity for everyone to network and meet colleagues face-to-face. Jared Carollo, program manager representing Infor Financing at the conference, summed it up: “It was great to connect a face with each name of everyone that I talk to and email so frequently.” Infor partners added that this was the best conference they had attended. They specifically enjoyed meeting key members of the Infor management team as well as networking with industry peers.

Once the conference wrapped up, our partners walked away energized and excited to get back to business and selling Infor products.  Ed Lanko, of Infor partner company Godlan, commented, “The highlight of the conference was hearing about the dramatic improvement and investment in Infor’s products. It’s really a new era for Infor as their new leadership has a strong focus on the market as well as the partner channel.” We’ve recognized it’s time to think outside the box, question the status quo, and take our business beyond boundaries. We enjoyed seeing those of you in Florida, and look forward to seeing even more of you next year.

If you are currently not an Infor Channel Partner and are interested in becoming one, we would love to hear from you. Also, check out our new site dedicated to the Infor Partner Network.

As always, we would love you hear from you, leave your feedback and comments here.

Posted by Jeff Abbott, Vice President, Global Alliances and Channels, Infor

Never mind the mantra that the customer is always right, according to the findings of research from IDC Manufacturing Insights into the strategies of the discrete manufacturing sector, the customer is seriously high maintenance. 

If you’re in the manufacturing sector, you’ll be well aware of, and no doubt responsible in part for, the dynamic of living in the ‘now’ society.  We expect products how, when and where we want them, and this trend shows no signs of abating.
 
The knock-on impact of the ‘now’ society is that manufacturers are citing increasingly or rapidly changing customer requirements and demand volatility as serious concerns when it comes to servicing the customer effectively.  Manufacturers were asked how concerned they were about a range of issues on a scale of 1-5 and both demand volatility and changing requirements came in at a ‘very concerned’ 3.41.

Interestingly, despite these concerns, manufacturers believe that their customer fulfillment is excellent and precisely where it needs to be in moving forward.  They are less confident about areas which can add major value in addressing these concerns, most notably demand planning and bid and project management, citing a significant gap between where their current capabilities are and where they need to be over the next two years.   

How concerned are you about servicing an increasingly volatile and demanding customer base?  If our findings serve us right, all manufacturers are feeling the heat to some degree – wherever you are in the world. 

Want to learn more? View the full post on this topic, as well as other posts just like this on the Manufacturing Matters blog, where Infor's manufacturing experts are on hand to share relevant information that matters to Infor manufacturing customers.

You’ve recently heard about our newly launched Infor Partner Network; now it’s time to put that initiative into action at our NA Channel Partner Summit 2011. Today, our valued partners will gather to learn more about the program, be inspired by what the future holds, and gain insight into how we can grow our respective businesses together.

The summit revolves around making our partners more effective and profitable. Our attendees will be motivated to take full advantage of Infor’s world-class programs and products after attending highly informative technology sessions. Partners can also participate in workshops designed with them in mind, as well as in product breakout sessions offering tips and tricks on Infor products and information on how best to be competitive.

Infor partners will be able to:

• Learn more about Infor’s exciting new global partner program—the Infor Partner Network.
• Get up to date on Infor’s latest product strategy and innovations.
• Discover how to “win” with Infor products.
• Meet with key members of the Infor management team.
• Network with industry peers.

Are you an Infor partner? It’s time to think outside the box, question the status quo, and take your business beyond boundaries.

If you are currently not an Infor Channel Partner and are interested in becoming one, we would love to hear from you.

Hope you’re enjoying your time in Florida.

To learn more about the Channel Partner Summit 2011, click here. Also, check out our new site dedicated to the Infor Partner Network.

As always, we would love you hear from you, leave your feedback and comments here.

Posted by Jeff Abbott, Vice President, Global Alliances and Channels, Infor

Infor-SoftBrands was proud to sponsor HITEC again this year.  HITEC is not only the biggest hotel technology event of the year, but also the biggest networking event.  Did you attend?

To keep the forum content fresh, we offered educational sessions covering hot topics in the hospitality industry today. Some sessions you just had to see and hear in person. But if you missed ours, here’s a recap:

• The Cloud Computing Panel—Javier Buzzalino discussed some relevant topics such as the benefits of multi-tiered architectures, the impact of multi-tenancy on scalability, and the impact that the NoSQL movement has for the cloud. The Q&A format with real-world examples seemed to resonate with the entire audience. I’m proud to share Glenn Gruber’s comment in his Tnooz article “…you couldn’t help but leave the presentation feeling impressed by the technical leadership of the Infor team and confident that they’re providing a true enterprise-class solution.”
• “Doing Business Your Way—For Profit”—David Purcell held an education session on why it’s important to remember that no matter what benefits technology can prove, we all need to be doing things that make more money. The session highlighted some new strategies for doing that and refreshed us on what we already know.

Each time I attend HITEC, I’m reminded that it is such a perfect gathering to see old friends, catch up on what’s new, and build new relationships. I was so busy and talked to so many people that I nearly lost my voice—a small price to pay.

Want to learn more? View the full post on this topic, as well as other posts just like this on the Hospitality Solutions blog, where our hospitality team connects with you to share great stories, ideas, opportunities, and solutions.

Posted by Alan E. Young, Vice President, Global Marketing, Infor-SoftBrands

When I turn on the news here in the US, it’s economic “doom and gloom.” The economic recovery that most economists believe began in 2009 still hasn’t taken hold in some industries.  But other regions of the world, such as China, are experiencing growth at a rapid pace of 9%, while the US and Europe are plodding along at 3%.

Does your company use ISO standards in order to improve business, quality, and service? Did you hear that later this year, ISO will publish a new global standard for energy management?

ISO 50001 will establish a framework for managing energy. In fact, it’s estimated that the ISO 50001 standard may influence over 60% of all energy produced and consumed in the world. The objective of ISO 50001 is to help organizations, large or small, improve their energy performance, increase energy efficiency, and reduce the environmental impact related to energy consumption.

Will your company be ready? Attaining ISO 50001 certification requires management commitment, accountability, responsibility, and the business systems and processes to achieve the intended level of energy performance. Ultimately, the goal is to optimize energy performance.

Want to learn more? View the full post on this topic, as well as other posts just like this on our Energizing EAM blog, which shares ideas and insights on sustainability, energy, reliability, and maintenance.

Posted by Rod Ellsworth, Vice President of Global Asset Sustainability, Infor