Welcome to your April News
Chairman's Note
Welcome to the April newsletter, I do hope that you are all keeping safe and well during these difficult times. As I mentioned in my last newsletter we have postponed our face to face meetings to remain within the government's advice on staying at home. However, we recognise the need to continue to offer a selection of events and educational opportunities so we have an extensive programme of virtual events for the next few months. If you feel there is a gap in the programme or you would like to share your experience and learning with your peers please get in touch with our team either via email or make use of our collaboration platform – SAP Jam.
Over the last couple of months, we have held an election to strengthen the Board of UKISUG. Firstly I would like to thank everyone that took part in the election, it was really gratifying to see the strengths all the candidates could bring to the Board and the willingness to give up their time to support the organisation. I am really pleased to announce that at the UKISUG April Board meeting I was able to welcome the new directors:- Cheryl Millyard – Head of the Business Service Centre at Gloucester County Council Greg Turner – VP ERP, Finance and HR at Burberry
In addition to the election, we recently agreed to co-opt a new director to the Board with specific skills and experience:- Conor Riordan – ERP Director at Pfizer
Many of the milestone events in the SAP calendar have moved to a virtual format and the annual SAP SAPPHIRENOW and ASUG Conference are no exception, keep your eyes out for the latest news on how that event will be happening and the opportunity to see the newly announced sole CEO of SAP – Christian Klein and other execs in action.
To make light of the situation, we have decided to run a Work From Home Co-worker Competition for our members - with the chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher! Also, each year we run a photography competition with the winning images going in to our calendar. Remember to keep an eye out for that perfect photo opportunity as you take your regulation exercise each day!
Finally, I would like to thank Alan Bowling who retired from the UKISUG Board at our recent meeting. Alan has been an active participant in the User Group for over 20 years, including serving as Chair for six years. I would like to thank him for his contribution, foresight and commitment supporting the sustained growth of the organisation during that time.
Stay safe and keep washing your hands!
Paul Cooper Chairman
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We are proactive Using sophisticated in-house headhunting techniques, we are prepared to be proactive thoroughly mapping a market ensuring we deliver not just the best available – but the best possible candidates.
If you need a recruitment partner that will go that extra mile please visit www.next-ventures.com Are you working from home? Have your children, pets, partner or flatmate become your co-workers? If so, we’d like to see them!
We are looking for a photograph with the wittiest caption to win a £100 Amazon voucher! There will be a ‘photo of the week’ each week as chosen by the UKISUG Team, and the winning captioned photograph will be chosen by the UKISUG Board.
Enter now – the only limit is your imagination! Influence SAP's Product Development! • Check out all currently open Influence opportunities here – and use the filter on the left to specify for your areas of interest (select by Products and Industries).
• Heads up: The next list of SAP Customer Engagement Initiative projects will be open for customer registration from May 25th to June 19th
• Always stay up to date by following your areas of interest (select by Products and Industries), and get a notification as soon as a new opportunity is made available! ASUG Forward - A New Virtual Experience! Gain the insights you need most in today’s evolving business environment and learn from your peers who are facing similar challenges.
ASUGFORWARD is a new virtual experience designed for SAP customers, featuring the guidance and advice of actual SAP customers. ASUGForward is ASUG’s replacement of their Annual Conference: 4 days action packed, highlighting thought leadership, SAP expertise, and practical advice from your peers. All virtual.
As a UKISUG member, you have complimentary access to ASUG, and therefore this offering. Your registration allows you to attend as many days as you’d like. Plus, you’ll receive the on-demand content directly to your inbox.
Join ASUG on 22-25 June to learn, exchange ideas, and gain practical information you can put into practice immediately. REGISTER HERE SAP have built the InnovationX digital hub, bringing together the spirit and passion of InnovationX, and the original content that we would have shared on the day but in an online format.
The hub has been designed as an on-demand platform for you to view at your own pace, and will cover the five themes originally set out for the event:
• The Power of Productivity with SAP S/4HANA • Business With Purpose • Growth Through Disruption • Your Business. Better. Smarter. Faster. • The Experience Economy
The InnovationX Hub will be updated with fresh content on a regular basis.
If you had already registered to attend InnovationX, you will be auto-registered for the hub and will only need to log in once using your email address for access to webinar content. If you weren’t registered for InnovationX, just click ‘Not Yet Registered’ when in the hub and that will take you to the registration page. The sessions are available on-demand for you to view at your own leisure, at your own pace. Access the hub here to get started.
Network with your peers remotely with our Jam Platform!
We know that isolation is tough when it comes to staying connected to your SAP community, and with the cancellation of our events, we understand the struggle. Stay in touch with your SAP community via our Jam Collaboration Platform! We have a member group and groups based on specific interest areas, where you can ask questions, ask opinions or simply just network with like-minded individuals. We will also share new and updated documentation there first. SAP Ariba - Customer Success Day - 7th May 2020 Join SAP from the comfort of your home as they explore the topic of Sustainable Procurement.
Sessions will run throughout the day as we examine the growing importance of sustainability, the lessons learnt for procurement and the supply chain from the COVID19 crisis, and the role of technology.
Hear from customer panellists as they discuss what sustainability means to their organisation, and how COVID19 has affected their business operations and the steps they’ve taken in response.
You can view the full agenda here or register for the event here Finding Your Perfect Partner Have you had a look at your new Affiliate Portal yet?
If you are trying to find a partner for your next SAP project you can now filter through 130 vendors in the SAP marketplace with just a few clicks whilst viewing their star rating and feedback given by your fellow User Group members! You’ll also have all the information you’ll need about that Affiliate to help in your decision including key contacts, news, documentation and case studies.
Is one of your partners a User Group Affiliate? Feel free to leave them a review to help your fellow members in their search.
We hope you find the portal useful and if there’s any suggestions you’d like to make to improve the service, feel free to get in touch. Our 2020 Photography Competition is now open for entries! This year, we have decided to theme our calendar around seasons. From quick mobile snaps of your Christmassy festivities, to perfectly timed portraits in the Summer heat – the only limit is your imagination!
We are looking for 12 winning entries to display in our UKISUG 2021 Calendar. All 12 winners will receive a print of their entry and each season will have 1 winning entry that will receive a £250 gift voucher. There will then be an overall winner, who receives an extra £250 voucher.
In addition, the top 4 winners will receive a complimentary all-inclusive UKISUG Connect 2020 pass! Could you host one of our SIGs? In light of the current situation, we have cancelled all in-person events until September. However, we are hoping for brighter times ahead and continue to plan for the situation easing.
We are planning our future events calendar and would like to know if you can host a SIG for us?
Hosting provides many benefits to you and your organisation and we will help get everything you need organised. In return for hosting you will receive one free conference pass to UKISUG Connect 2020. If you are interested please contact Kirsten.boucher@sapusers.org.
Do you have a story to share?
It is really important to us that we include customer experiences in the SIGs. Please get involved and let us know if you are interested. You will be invited to attend a free speaker training workshop later in the year and you will also receive a free pass to our annual conference Connect 2020 as a thank you.
"I find that there is always at least one User Group member with an experience or an interest in new technology that resonates with the work going on in my company. The benefit of sharing is always two-way." - Michael Lochrin, Open Hydro
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