By Kim Congleton
Attending Convergence has impacted my business in many ways but probably one of the most beneficial would have to be the ability to connect with my partner, Microsoft experts, other NAV users and vendors. This saves a great deal of time being able to have everyone in one place at the same time. It makes it much easier for me to evaluate any new NAV add-ons that might be useful for my users and clients over the coming year. It also provides access for me to consult with my partner about what solutions I should maybe consider to further extend NAV. I can't stress enough how valuable it can be to have access to the Microsoft experts and to be able to learn more about how the product works from the people who are actually designing it and building it. Last year I spent an hour with one of the program managers for NAV and it flew by like it was only 5 minutes, I learned so much about NAV. For me getting to know the other NAV users though is always the highlight of Convergence. It is very educational to learn what other users are doing with NAV and to see if some of the solutions they have come up with can benefit us in some way. It's also great to hear their challenges and successes and to learn from them. The NAV User group also plays a huge part in the conference and it is always great to learn about the new things that the user group has planned for the next year. A lot of times I am looking for ways that I can help our users learn more about NAV and sometimes it is hard to find the appropriate training for them; last year I was able to connect with the user group and learned about the Academy classes they were going to be offering this year and our users were able to take advantage of it.
Lastly Convergence has provided many opportunities for me to personally grow in my knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics NAV, the NAV community and even in my leadership skills. The Leadership track offered at Convergence provides some excellent sessions that will challenge you to become a better leader or manager. The things I have learned at Convergence have made me an all-around better decision maker and leader in my business. I am richer for the friendships and learning I have experienced as part of convergence. I am smarter because of the people I have met and talked to and learned how they run there day to day businesses. And I am always more humble because of the people I have met in the communities where I have volunteered and heard their stories and witnessed their great spirit of hope and determination. Is it possible that a conference could have this much impact on a business? Probably not a conference alone but when you look at the people that attend this conference that is where the real impact comes from because it's the people you meet and the things you learn along the way that make it a great experience.
Kim Congleton is the Director, IT Center of Excellence at Group O Supply Chain Solutions in Milan, IL.
