2,000+ LOCAL CHAPTERS GROUPS

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2 Exxon Mobil Chevron ConocoPhillips Bank of America Corp. AT&T Hewlett-Packard Valero Energy McKesson Cardinal Health Home Depot Procter & Gamble Boeing AmerisourceBergen Target Johnson & Johnson Marathon Oil Wells Fargo Dow Chemical Microsoft Caterpillar Sunoco Lockheed Martin PepsiCo Intel Kraft Foods Allstate Motorola Walt Disney Cisco Systems Johnson Controls Honeywell International Northrop Grumman Hess DuPont New York Life Insurance Coca-Cola Tyson Foods Abbott Laboratories Merck Deere Apple Publix Super Markets Raytheon Wyeth International Paper Tesoro Coca-Cola Enterprises Goodyear Tire & Rubber Bristol-Myers Squibb Whirlpool Delta Air Lines Eli Lilly Kimberly-Clark DirecTV Group Weyerhaeuser Fluor Anheuser- Busch Nike Union Pacific Anadarko Petroleum Dominion Resources Avnet AFLAC Halliburton Paccar Computer Sciences Amgen TRW Automotive Holdings Centex L-3 Communications Sun Microsystems Colgate-Palmolive Pepsi Bottling Public Service Enterprise Group PG&E Corp. EMC Sara Lee ConAgra Foods Schering-Plough General Mills Medtronic Jabil Circuit Smithfield Foods Kellogg Entergy Sempra Energy Reliant Energy Eastman Kodak Parker Hannifin Huntsman Baker Hughes Air Products & Chemicals Southwest Airlines Thermo Fisher Scientific Applied Materials CenterPoint Energy DTE Energy Starbucks Pepco Holdings KBR ITT OfficeMax H.J. Heinz Rohm & Haas Commercial Metals Monsanto Owens-Illinois Campbell Soup Ashland Mohawk Industries Smurfit-Stone Container VF Eastman Chemical Estee Lauder MeadWestvaco Energy WHO Transfer WE Equity ARE Celanese Ryder System Black & Decker Interpublic Group Goodrich W.W. Grainger Newell Rubbermaid Performance Food Group TravelCenters of America Harley-Davidson Pitney Bowes Corning Hexion Specialty Chemicals Micron Technology Owens Corning Peabody Energy Ecolab Wm. Wrigley Jr. Rockwell Automation Graybar Electric Timken Energy East Auto-Owners Insurance SPX Lexmark International Hershey Clorox Insight Enterprises Telephone & Data Systems Holly Cameron International Jarden Big Lot Sealed Air FMC Exxon Mobil Chevron ConocoPhillips Bank of America Corp. AT&T Hewlett-Packard Valero Energy McKesson Cardinal Health Home Depot Procter & Gamble Boeing AmerisourceBergen Target Johnson & Johnson Marathon Oil Wells Fargo Dow Chemical Microsoft Caterpillar Sunoco Lockheed Martin PepsiCo ,000+ Intel Kraft Foods Allstate Motorola Walt Disney Cisco Systems Johnson Controls Honeywell International Northrop Grumman Hess DuPont New York Life Insurance Coca-Cola Tyson Foods Abbott Laboratories Merck Deere Apple Publix Super Markets Raytheon Wyeth International Paper Tesoro Coca-Cola Enterprises Goodyear Tire & Rubber Bristol-Myers Squibb Whirlpool Delta Air Lines Eli Lilly Kimberly-Clark DirecTV Group Weyerhaeuser Fluor Anheuser- Busch Nike Union Pacific Anadarko Petroleum Dominion Resources Avnet AFLAC Halliburton Paccar Computer Sciences Amgen TRW Automotive Holdings Centex L-3 Communications Sun Microsystems YEAR-round Colgate-Palmolive Pepsi Bottling Public Service INDIVIDUAL Enterprise Group PG&E Corp. EMC Sara Lee ConAgra Foods Schering-Plough General Mills Medtronic Jabil Circuit Smithfield Foods Kellogg Entergy Sempra Energy Reliant Energy Eastman Kodak Parker Hannifin Huntsman Baker Hughes Air Products & Chemicals COMMUNITY Southwest Airlines Thermo Fisher Scientific Applied MEMBERS Materials CenterPoint Energy DTE Energy Starbucks Pepco Holdings KBR ITT OfficeMax H.J. Heinz Rohm & Haas Commercial Metals Monsanto Owens-Illinois Campbell Soup Ashland Mohawk Industries Smurfit-Stone Container VF Eastman Chemical Estee Lauder MeadWestvaco Energy Transfer Equity Celanese Ryder System Black & Decker Interpublic Group Goodrich W.W. Grainger Newell Rubbermaid Performance Food Group TravelCenters of America Harley-Davidson Pitney Bowes Corning Hexion Specialty Chemicals Micron Technology Owens Corning Peabody Energy Ecolab Wm. Wrigley Jr. Rockwell Automation Graybar Electric Timken Energy East Auto-Owners Insurance SPX Lexmark International Hershey Clorox Insight Enterprises Telephone & Data Systems Holly Cameron International Jarden Big Lot Sealed Air FMC Exxon Mobil Chevron ConocoPhillips Bank of America Corp. AT&T Hewlett-Packard Valero Energy McKesson Cardinal Health Home Depot Procter & Gamble Boeing AmerisourceBergen Target Johnson & Johnson Marathon Oil Wells Fargo Dow Chemical Microsoft Caterpillar Sunoco Lockheed Martin PepsiCo Intel Kraft Foods Allstate Motorola Walt Disney Cisco Systems Johnson Controls Honeywell International Northrop Grumman Hess DuPont New York Life Insurance Coca-Cola Tyson Foods 2,000+ Abbott Laboratories Merck Deere Apple Publix Super Markets 150 Raytheon Wyeth International Paper Tesoro Coca-Cola Enterprises Goodyear Tire & Rubber Bristol-Myers Squibb Whirlpool Delta Air Lines Eli Lilly Kimberly-Clark DirecTV Group Weyerhaeuser Fluor Anheuser- Busch Nike Union Pacific Anadarko Petroleum Dominion Resources Avnet AFLAC Halliburton Paccar Computer Sciences Amgen TRW Automotive Holdings Centex L-3 Communications Sun Microsystems Colgate-Palmolive Pepsi Bottling Public Service Enterprise Group PG&E Corp. EMC Sara Lee ConAgra Foods Schering-Plough General Mills Medtronic Jabil MEMBER Circuit Smithfield Foods Kellogg Entergy Sempra FORTUNE Energy Reliant Energy 500 Eastman Kodak Parker Hannifin Huntsman Baker Hughes Air Products & Chemicals Southwest Airlines Thermo Fisher Scientific Applied Materials CenterPoint Energy DTE Energy Starbucks Pepco Holdings KBR ITT OfficeMax H.J. Heinz COMPANIES Rohm & Haas Commercial Metals Monsanto MEMBER Owens-Illinois Campbell COMPANIES Soup Ashland Mohawk Industries Smurfit-Stone Container VF Eastman Chemical Estee Lauder MeadWestvaco Energy Transfer Equity Celanese Ryder System Black & Decker Interpublic Group Goodrich W.W. Grainger Newell Rubbermaid Performance Food Group TravelCenters of America Harley-Davidson Pitney Bowes Corning Hexion Specialty Chemicals Micron Technology Owens Corning Peabody Energy Ecolab Wm. Wrigley Jr. Rockwell Automation Graybar Electric Timken Energy East Auto-Owners Insurance SPX Lexmark International Hershey Clorox Insight Enterprises Telephone & Data Systems Holly Cameron International Jarden Big Lot Sealed Air FMC Exxon Mobil Chevron ConocoPhillips Bank of America Corp. AT&T Hewlett-Packard Valero Energy McKesson Cardinal Health Home Depot Procter & Gamble Boeing AmerisourceBergen Target Johnson & Johnson Marathon Oil Wells Fargo Dow Chemical Microsoft Caterpillar Sunoco Lockheed Martin PepsiCo Intel Kraft Foods Allstate Motorola Walt Disney Cisco Systems Johnson Controls Honeywell International Northrop Grumman Hess DuPont New York Life Insurance Coca-Cola Tyson Foods Abbott Laboratories Merck Deere Apple Publix Super Markets Raytheon Wyeth International Paper Tesoro Coca-Cola Enterprises Goodyear Tire & Rubber Bristol-Myers 83 Squibb Whirlpool Delta Air Lines Eli Lilly Kimberly-Clark 39 DirecTV Group Weyerhaeuser Fluor Anheuser- Busch Nike Union Pacific Anadarko Petroleum Dominion Resources Avnet AFLAC Halliburton Paccar Computer Sciences Amgen TRW Automotive Holdings Centex L-3 Communications Sun Microsystems Colgate-Palmolive Pepsi Bottling Public Service Enterprise Group PG&E Corp. EMC Sara Lee ConAgra Foods Schering-Plough General Mills Medtronic Jabil Circuit Smithfield Foods Kellogg Entergy Sempra Energy Reliant Energy Eastman Kodak Parker Hannifin Huntsman Baker Hughes Air Products & Chemicals Southwest Airlines Thermo Fisher Scientific Applied Materials CenterPoint Energy DTE Energy Starbucks Pepco Holdings KBR ITT OfficeMax H.J. SPECIAL Heinz Rohm & Haas INTEREST Commercial Metals Monsanto Owens-Illinois LOCAL Campbell Soup Ashland Mohawk Industries Smurfit-Stone Container VF Eastman Chemical Estee Lauder MeadWestvaco Energy Transfer Equity Celanese Ryder System Black & Decker Interpublic Group Goodrich GROUPS CHAPTERS W.W. Grainger Newell Rubbermaid Performance Food Group TravelCenters of America Harley-Davidson Pitney Bowes Corning Hexion Specialty Chemicals Micron Technology Owens Corning Peabody Energy Ecolab Wm. Wrigley Jr. Rockwell Automation Graybar Electric Timken Energy East Auto-Owners Insurance SPX Lexmark International Hershey Clorox Insight Enterprises Telephone & Data Systems Holly Cameron International Jarden Big Lot Sealed Air FMC Exxon Mobil Chevron ConocoPhillips Bank of America Corp. AT&T Hewlett-Packard Valero Energy McKesson Cardinal Health Home Depot Procter & Gamble Boeing AmerisourceBergen Target Johnson & Johnson Marathon Oil Wells Fargo Dow Chemical Microsoft Caterpillar Sunoco Lockheed Martin PepsiCo Intel Kraft Foods Allstate Motorola Walt Disney Cisco Systems Johnson Controls Honeywell International Northrop Grumman Hess DuPont New York Life Insurance Coca-Cola Tyson Foods Abbott Laboratories Merck Deere Apple Publix Super Markets Raytheon Wyeth International Paper Tesoro Coca-Cola Enterprises Goodyear Tire & Rubber Bristol-Myers Squibb Whirlpool Delta Air Lines Eli Lilly Kimberly-Clark DirecTV Group Weyerhaeuser Fluor Anheuser- Busch Nike Union Pacific Anadarko Petroleum Dominion Resources Avnet AFLAC Halliburton Paccar Computer Sciences Amgen TRW Automotive Holdings Centex L-3 Communications Sun Microsystems Colgate-Palmolive Pepsi Bottling Public Service Enterprise Group PG&E Corp. EMC Sara Lee ConAgra Foods Schering-Plough General Mills Medtronic Jabil Circuit Smithfield Foods Kellogg Entergy Sempra Energy Reliant Energy Eastman Kodak Parker Hannifin Huntsman Baker Hughes Air Products & Chemicals Southwest Airlines Thermo Fisher Scientific Applied Materials CenterPoint Energy DTE Energy Starbucks Pepco Holdings KBR ITT OfficeMax H.J. Heinz Rohm & Haas Commercial Metals Monsanto Owens-Illinois Campbell Soup Ashland Mohawk Industries Smurfit-Stone

3 WELCOME Welcome to ASUG A Year-round Community for Business Success CONTENTS 365 days a year, more than 75,000 ASUG members are engaged in helping each other find new and better ways to solve problems and achieve their business goals. If your company is connected to SAP, you should be here, too. ASUG 365 highlights the year-round benefits ASUG members enjoy: Education, Networking, Benchmarking and Best Practices, Influence Programs, community engagement, and knowledge sharing. ASUG offers members benefits that extend across the SAP spectrum, from technical know-how to insight into business processes. Whether you have business management responsibility or you are an IT professional responsible for supporting business operations, every professional in the SAP ecosystem stands to benefit from ASUG, regardless of company size, industry, or expertise. Founded in 1991 by SAP customers as a not-for-profit organization, ASUG connects individuals from more than 2,000 member companies in North America. Whether you are an SAP customer, solution or service provider, university researcher or student, ASUG gives you the tools to get the most out of your SAP investment by connecting people, sharing knowledge, and shaping the future. We invite you to determine which type of membership might fit your organization best, explore the different ASUG Communities, take an inventory of the face-to-face and virtual Education offerings, learn how you can gain a competitive advantage, and explore the avenues available for influencing SAP product and strategy. ASUG 365 weaves real-life examples and testimonies through the magazine from existing members SAP professionals just like you. Read first-hand about the expertise and experience that combine to make ASUG the largest independent SAP user community in the world. We hope you will decide to join our community if you are not a member already. If you are, we trust you will be compelled to share your story and be part of our ongoing narrative of success WHY JOIN year-round education MEMBERSHIP ACROSS THE SAP SPECTRUM sap partnership the asug community asug special interest groups (sigs) ASUG CHAPTERS ASUG VOLUNTEERS influence sap asug and sap benchmarking and best practices networking at its finest HOW DO I GET INVOLVED TODAY? THE ASUG IMPACT AWARD Because at ASUG, the difference is you.

4 WHY JOIN 2 ASUG is the leading customer-driven resource in the SAP ecosystem. Since its inception in 1991, this organization has become the largest SAP user group in the world, providing its more than 75,000 individual members with unmatched benefits. Our goal is straightforward: to support our members with continuous education, networking opportunities with other SAP professionals and experts, and channels for influencing SAP product and service direction. The end result is a community of SAP professionals empowered to achieve business results throughout the year. Whether you are a new member or an ASUG veteran, take a moment to familiarize yourself with our membership benefits. Membership is uniquely designed to fit your niche in the SAP ecosystem and provide you with the maximum return on your investment in ASUG and SAP. REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE HERE You are in good company. The ASUG membership base includes 35+ Fortune 100 and 120+ Fortune 500 companies Your unique needs are met. Choose from five primary types of annual membership Your success is our business. Optimize the return on your investment in SAP and ASUG

5 Year-round Education 3 stay informed. be on top of the game. keep up with sap all year long. Education is the cornerstone of most professional organizations, and ASUG is no exception. In fact, ASUG is the leading resource for SAP customer-driven education. High-impact education, designed by members for members, helps SAP customers attain maximum benefit from their investment. Nearly 20,000 members participated in more than 1,700 educational sessions offered by ASUG last year. Educational opportunities include virtual events like Special Interest Group (SIG) Webcasts, face-to-face Chapter meetings, comprehensive multi-day symposiums and, of course, the ASUG Annual Conference. In fact, every interaction with ASUG presents members with a learning opportunity. When they sign on to the ASUG Web site, they have access to a plethora of educational Webcasts and presentations. The online Discussion Forums area is another opportunity for members to engage daily and tap into the vast pool of real-life scenarios and experienced SAP resources. This diverse and compelling assortment of educational offerings ensures that member companies receive value through their membership and realize a better return on their investment in SAP products and services. The folks at ASUG think their educational programs provide the real experience that gives members a real advantage. Nearly 20,000 participants last year thought so too. Keep up with SAP 365 Days a Year Virtual Education opportunities like Special Interest Group (SIG) Webcasts allow participation in education offered by experts from members own PCs, where they enjoy the ability to provide real-time input. SIGs are virtual ASUG communities aligned with a specific business process, industry, or technology. Chapter meetings deliver face-to-face education and bonus networking opportunities to members in their respective neighborhoods. Chapters are regionally-based ASUG communities throughout the U.S. and Canada. They often collaborate with SIGs for additional content. Face-to-Face events offer one or more days of education focused in a particular interest area. These events combine education and wider networking opportunities. The Annual Conference, ASUG s premier event, provides three and a half days of face-to-face education spanning the entire spectrum of SAP-related content, as well as comprehensive ASUG Influence activities, structured networking, and a Partner Show Floor. On the ASUG Web site members can tap into SAP-related knowledge and experience through the online Discussion Forums or download educational webcasts and presentations for their own SAP reference libraries in the Learning Center. There s so much educational experience that you can get by attending an ASUG event, that you can learn more in three days than you would in weeks of training classes. Rudy Julian ASUG INSTALLATION MEMBER MEMBER SINCE: 2000 ] Visit the calendar on asug.com for more details.

6 Membership Across the SAP Spectrum 4 ASUG tailors its membership to suit the unique roles and requirements of companies represented in the SAP ecosystem. SAP customers, universities, and partners can draw from benefits such as education, networking, benchmarking studies, discussion forums, and influence initiatives. Installation Members ASUG Installation members are licensed SAP customers who are actively involved in installing and operating SAP software within their own businesses. New SAP customers are eligible for a one-year complimentary membership sponsored by SAP. The broad range of benefits available to Installation members includes educational offerings spanning the latest SAP topics, collaboration and networking resources, and Influence and Benchmarking opportunities suited to the individual needs of the member. Influence and Benchmarking benefits are exclusive to Installation Members to ensure the sharing of lessons learned and success strategies takes place in a secure environment. Associate Members ASUG Associate members are both licensed and non-certified partners of SAP Americas. Associate member benefits are uniquely suited to the needs of third-party SAP vendors and consultants and include virtual and face-to-face networking opportunities with targeted audiences, year-round exposure on asug.com, exclusive exhibit and sponsorship opportunities, and access to collaboration tools on the ASUG Web site. Channel Partner Members ASUG Channel Partner members are licensed SAP partners whose primary business is reselling SAP Business One and/ or mysap All-in-One. ASUG provides an education and training outlet for SAP Channel Partners and their SAP Business One and/or mysap All-in-One customers. This membership affords SAP Channel Partners opportunities to foster customer relationships while gaining exposure for their organizations year-round. Independent Consultant Members Independent Consultant membership is for independentlyemployed consultants who offer SAP consulting services. This membership resides at the individual level, meaning an individual utilizes membership benefits and one asug.com login is included per membership. University Connection Members Our University Connection program connects university members with the broader ASUG membership in ways that leverage subject-matter expertise to help SAP customers drive real change in their businesses. ASUG provides schools with the right mix of training, technology, and real-world experience that can extend classroom learning, enable innovation, and empower the next generation of business and technology leaders. Join today. Fill out an online application at or Call Member Services at for more information. * ASUG membership resides on the corporate level unless stated otherwise, which means unlimited membership for all the SAP users in the member company. more REASONS TO JOIN SAP professionals like you join ASUG for: Education Professional Networking Product Influence Benchmarking Community Expertise and Experience and they enjoy it all year long

7 ] sap partnership 5 a partnership of 3: asug, sap, and you Our partnership with SAP has many facets. We are partners in educational events, like the ASUG Annual Conference and SAPPHIRE and SAP TechEd and partners in joint programs including Benchmarking and Influence that fuel so much value for our member community. This partnership continues to grow as both organizations look for ways to make the lives of SAP customers easier. While ASUG is a member-driven, independent group, our partnership with SAP is a strategic and mutually supportive endeavor. SAP is represented on the ASUG Board of Directors and provides a dedicated liaison team to collaborate with ASUG and support our programs. SAP enlists product experts who act as points of contact within its organization to promote ASUG by actively encouraging customer involvement and providing subject-matter expertise and support to all ASUG programs. As SAP has expanded its customer base and solutions, ASUG has followed suit by increasing product and service offerings and revitalizing our organizational structure. Yet, even during these substantial periods of growth, ensuring the success of our members remains a priority. ASUG remains true to our mission of providing SAP professionals with the resources, tools, and connections they need to maximize the return on their SAP investment. SAP has a long, rich history of working closely with user groups, and as a trusted advisor to SAP, ASUG is an effective and responsive organization which represents the collective and independent voice of SAP customers in North America. Stefan Kneis Global Head, SAP Global Customer Community ASUG Board of directors

8 THE ASUG COMMUNITY. REAL EXPERIENCE. REAL ADVANTAGE 6 connect with your peers. Share Knowledge, Experience, and Insight. ASUg Offers Year-round Communities for SAP professionals The ASUG communities offer members many opportunities to engage and benefit from both face-to-face and virtual education and social networking opportunities year-round. Be it regionally based Chapters or Special Interest Groups (SIGs) aligned with SAP products, industries, or technologies, ASUG communities promote and facilitate dynamic opportunities to engage and share experiences within the SAP ecosystem at the grassroots level. ASUG SIGs allow members interested in a specific process, industry, or technology access to networking, education, and support from other SAP professionals with knowledge and experience. Members have the option of focusing on a business process key to a company s success, align themselves with one of more than twenty industries represented in ASUG, and stay ahead of the technology curve with state-of-the-art education and access to SAP experts. ASUG Chapters are communities of SAP professionals organized by geographical proximity. There are 39 geographical locations throughout the United States and Canada. Chapters provide members access to convenient face-to-face education and networking several times a year without extensive travel or days away from the office. All Chapter meetings are included in ASUG membership benefits at no extra cost. Volunteers are the mainstay of the ASUG community, exercising their leadership skills to drive education, facilitate discussions, produce meetings, and mentor fellow members. There are more than 300 Volunteers who keep the ASUG community thriving. The ASUG community is an integral part of the SAP ecosystem, meeting the needs of SAP professionals at an individual as well as a collective level 24/7/365. benefits of being an asug member communities help you get the job done: Chapters meet face to face in your backyard SIGs talk to someone just like you asug.com Collaborate the way you want to 24/7/365 Network till you drop Be a part of something bigger than yourself

9 ASUG SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIGs) 7 share rao s Vision of Business Process Collaboration Around the Globe Raghavendra (Rao) Subbarao has been the Business Process Architecture (BPA) Special Interest Group (SIG) chair since An active ASUG volunteer and advocate for collaboration across all communities, he has a great vision of how ASUG Special Interest Groups can take networking to the next level. ASUG 365: Describe the membership of your Special Interest Group. Rao: Briefly, the Business Process Architecture SIG members are popularly known as Business Process Experts (BPX). This SIG primarily consists of Business Architects, Business Systems Analysts, Process Owners, and Business Partners, in a nutshell, people who work close to the business in order to enable the maximum value of IT to the business. SIG member companies include ExxonMobil, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Hospira, and Whirlpool. As you can no doubt tell, this membership enables true cross-industry expertise, which is imperative for a successful Architecture practice. ASUG 365: What benefits do your SIG members gain by participating in ASUG? Rao: One of the primary benefits of ASUG membership is instant access to a virtual community of thousands of peers and customers, not to mention the educational sessions via Webcasts. As someone who has practiced Enterprise Architecture for a long time, I frequently get asked to serve as a reference point for organizations embarking on various architecture products and practices (like BPM, EA, etc). Usually, at the end of my call, I suggest they reach out to the ASUG community to share the immensely valuable knowledge and experience and insights of hundreds of other customers who have already implemented the product or practice. ASUG 365: Describe the networking you see taking place within your SIG. Rao: Our SIG is very close-knit considering the broad geographic footprint of our members. Most often, we collaborate via Discussion Forums that are available right on asug.com. ASUG headquarters team has expanded our presence within the social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. We are starting to network and communicate via those tools as well. ASUG 365: What s next? What would you like to have happen for your SIG? Rao: Our vision for the future is to expand on this trend and expand our SIG by extending our collaboration efforts. Architecture is the same no matter which part of the globe you practice it. We believe that we can bring together visionaries and thought leaders across the globe to form a virtual Business Process Architecture community a cross-industry community that provides best practices and guidance around a successful Business (Process) Architecture practice. COM Your Virtual Gateway to ASUG: Plan your SAP Education with the Events Calendar Stay Informed about ASUG and SAP Announcements and News Use Resource Centers to Keep Up with SAP Hot Topics Download Webcasts and Presentations for Year-Round Education Share Chapter and SIG Expertise and Experience Shape the Future with Influence and Benchmarking Leverage Collaboration Tools for Answers to your Questions Convenient Content... Clearspace Collaboration... Calendar of Community Events... Clearly You Need a Login Join ASUG on asug.com.

10 ] ASUG CHAPTERS 8 Rudy says: JOIN one of the 39 chapters, Your local connection to sap. We sat down with ASUG Volunteer and Champion F.R. (Rudy) Hendricks II, the ASUG North Carolina/Virginia Chapter Chair for a quick Q&A about the value of local Chapters to ASUG members. ASUG 365: Describe the membership of your particular Chapter. Rudy: More than 2,000 members representing over 400 companies align with our ASUG Chapter. These member organizations cover a wide range of business descriptions and sizes. The level of experience runs very high and covers many SAP modules and usages of the application. ASUG 365: How often does your Chapter meet and where do you typically hold your meetings? Rudy: My chapter typically runs what we call a Traveling Road Show in the region four times per year - we hold meetings throughout the region. ASUG 365: What benefits do your Chapter meeting attendees gain by coming to an event? Rudy: Attendees get to speak to the presenters and have their questions answered face-to-face. They also have many chances for detailed discussions with the vendors manning the display tables. Of course, one of the most prized benefits of attending is the day-long chance to network with other attendees. That can t be done via a Webcast. The one-on-one interaction is priceless and all for free. ASUG 365: Describe the networking you see taking place at your Chapter events. Rudy: The networking I see begins as soon as the first attendees show up for registration and breakfast, and business cards start flying around. Actually, it sometimes starts in the parking lot before the doors have even opened. Much of the networking revolves around the use of particular tools or transactions in SAP. EVERYONE is so eager to help someone else with a pain point. Of course, the lunch tables are hotbeds of networking too. ASUG 365: What s next? What would you like to have happen for your Chapter? Rudy: We are planning our standard four Road Shows for this year, but we are trying to find ways to do more. We are intent on strengthening our ASUG University Connection partnership by adding more colleges and universities. We are building our team by adding volunteers we re calling Market Leaders, an idea we borrowed from the Florida Chapter. And, of course, we are always trying to convince more companies they should send employees to Chapter meetings. Great things like this are happening in the 39 ASUG Chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada. Visit or communities@asug.com for more information on the Chapter nearest you. rudy hendricks ASUG INSTALLATION MEMBER MEMBER SINCE: 2001

11 ASUG VOLUNTEERS 9 Take it from jermaine: become the heart and soul of the organization. ASUG Volunteers are the heart and soul of the organization. They donate time and expertise to deliver value to members on a daily basis. Helping other members, expanding their own professional networks, and growing the ASUG organization are always cited as top three reasons why our Volunteers continue to do what they do. ASUG Florida Chapter Chair, Jermaine Patterson, shares how volunteering for ASUG has benefited his company and enriched his professional life. In 2001, I was a seasoned SAP professional who had only interacted with ASUG via the SAP TechEd event. The following year I decided to become an ASUG Chapter Volunteer after a company I was working for went live with SAP, and I was selected as a post go-live Site Project Manager. I had no expectations. I primarily wanted to establish a network of SAP professionals to whom I could turn for assistance and offer help when asked. As a Chapter volunteer, I was able to influence SAP to sponsor a Chapter meeting where the theme was xapps with a specific focus on the SAP s RPM (xrpm) solution. My company hosted the meeting. Not only did we benefit from the content, but we benefited from the networking and knowledge sharing that took place at our office. Key players from the company were able to better understand xrpm which allowed us to firm up our direction and implement a solution. Being an ASUG volunteer can even be helpful on a global scale. A member company based in Europe with offices in the United States was implementing SAP at one of their sites in Florida. They contacted me for recommendations of a Florida-based organization that could help them with the site roll-out. Based on their business requirements, I was able to refer them to a few organizations I had learned about through my role as ASUG Chapter volunteer. As a volunteer, I partner with others to facilitate great experiences for the ASUG Florida Chapter. I am constantly working with new people who contribute to my interpersonal growth and professional development. My volunteer experience provides knowledge and contacts that make me more of an expert on the SAP ecosystem and contribute to my value as an SAP professional. I am more aware of what I call the supply and demand in the SAP ecosystem I serve with other Volunteers to understand the topics in demand by the ASUG community so we can supply valuable events. As a Chapter volunteer, I m helping others while also helping myself. That is the true meaning of being an ASUG volunteer. Interested in being an ASUG volunteer? Contact communities@asug.com. If you re serious about your SAP installation and you want to leverage it in the most efficient way and see that return on your investment, I highly recommend you join ASUG. ] jermaine Patterson ASUG INSTALLATION MEMBER MEMBER SINCE: 1997

12 Raising an issue and seeing it progress through the Influence process is one of the most exciting and empowering benefits of ASUG membership. The Influence model really does work, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of these unique opportunities afforded to ASUG members. gretchen lindquist ASUG INSTALLATION MEMBER MEMBER SINCE: 1999 Get involved in Influence and make your voice heard by SAP. To participate in the ASUG Influence program, contact your ASUG Community Facilitator or SIG Chair about Influence Council activities. Look for opportunities to get your hands on the next generation of technology with Usability Activities. Ask to have your senior management team invited to the CIO Customer Council. For more information, visit

13 INFLUENCE SAP 11 Don t let your voice go unheard. Make a difference. Shape the future. Add your voice to ASUG. The ASUG Influence program is a vital component of ASUG membership. The program offers a unique opportunity for ASUG Installation Members to impact existing and future SAP products and services. Leveraging the collective voice of more than 2,000 SAP customer companies and the strong strategic partnership between ASUG and SAP, ASUG Influence is able to provide members interested in shaping current and future SAP solutions the unique opportunity to provide input directly to SAP. Whether it is the next product release or SAP s future strategy, the ASUG Influence model ensures that SAP hears the collective voice of ASUG members. ASUG, in close collaboration with SAP, provides multiple avenues for members to deliver direct feedback to help SAP understand and respond to customer needs and interests. Define and Develop Future Solutions Influence Councils Members participating in Influence Councils get to present common challenges to SAP first-hand, and propose solutions in the diverse areas of the SAP Ecosystem. Over 130+ such Influence Council sessions took place both virtually and face-to-face last year, impacting critical SAP solution areas such as SAP Solution Manager, Business Intelligence, Supply Chain Management, Product Lifecycle Management, and SAP NetWeaver. Usability ACTIVITIES Usability Activities give ASUG members the opportunity to test new and existing solutions and provide on-the-spot feedback to SAP developers, product management specialists, and usability experts. Usability Activities take the form of hands-on test drives, focus groups, surveys, and rolebased interviews at ASUG events throughout the year. Focus Groups ASUG introduced the Focus Group concept to the Influence model to help SAP and ASUG membership quickly collaborate, validate, and prioritize solution and enhancement requirements. Taking Influence to New Heights CIO Customer Council The CIO Customer Council provides a forum for candid dialogue between ASUG and SAP executives about strategic business challenges and emerging opportunities. Member executives provide feedback and conduct customer-led presentations to SAP regarding hot topics such as: Business Network Transformation Business Suite Update Enterprise Architecture Transformation Enterprise Support ERP and CRM Upgrades SAP Business Objects Integration Influence Goes Global SUGEN The SAP User-Group Executive Network (SUGEN) was established in 2007 to foster information exchange and best practice sharing among SAP User Groups and to coordinate the collaboration with SAP for strategic topics. It is a united network of 12 User Group Communities across six continents. SUGEN s mission is to: Serve as a channel for providing SAP with a consolidated view on influence priorities for SAP products and services. If applicable, task forces are built to work on a particular topic for a certain period of time. Provide an avenue for the communication of strategic issues among User Groups and SAP. New and urgent topics from both sides can be addressed in an open, honest dialog to drive the market towards excellence, innovation and success. Provide a forum for user groups who are members of SUGEN to share best practices amongst each other and SAP. These best practices can focus on the organization of the groups and different programs that are executed. Create and sustain collaborative bodies that foster the sharing of information, expertise, and experience users and SAP cannot find anywhere else Foster international market views, including customers short and long term demand drivers, major challenges, and business imperatives Make your voice heard by SAP through ASUG Influence.

14 ] ASUG AND SAP BENCHMARKING AND BEST PRACTICES 12 Driving Value Through Best Practices. How Does Your Organization Measure Up AGAINST THE COMPETITION? The ASUG and SAP Benchmarking and Best Practices program provides ASUG Installation members a tool to set the stage for innovation, measure the value of change, and track performance after the fact. What is Benchmarking? Benchmarking allows you to compare your performance to that of your peers and other SAP users, determine the value of adopting best practices, understand how IT drives performance, and track performance. When and Why to Benchmark? Benchmark your performance prior to a business transformation in order to build a business case; during a transformation or in a steadystate to compare performance with a set of peers; and after a business transformation to assess the value realization of the transformation or track performance improvement over time. What Do Benchmarking and Best Practices Surveys Mean to Members? Determine where your organization excels and where it needs to improve. Learn about current and emerging best practices. Identify areas for growth. Leverage your results to pinpoint opportunities for cost reduction and increased productivity Mitigate IT exposures and risks Apply best practices and industry trends to strategic IT planning initiatives Benchmarking and Best Practices survey participants receive a customized report for each completed survey they submit. The report provides key findings and detailed survey results. Best of all, this benefit is included in Installation membership fees. Since participating in the Benchmarking and Best Practices program we recognize the costs associated with each business process and we can go after technical improvements to effect the appropriate savings. ASUG and SAP Benchmarking and Best Practices mike stoko ASUG INSTALLATION MEMBER MEMBER SINCE: 2000

15 Creating a KPI Baseline to Begin Measuring Ashland s Supply Chain Member Profile Ashland Inc., a Fortune 500 diversified chemical company, provides innovative products, services, and solutions to customers around the globe. Ashland has sales and operations in the U.S. and in more than 100 countries worldwide. Its operations include four divisions: Ashland Performance Materials, Ashland Distribution, Valvoline, and Ashland Water Technologies. Why Ashland Participated Change Management Challenges Third-Party Review of Business Operations Best Practice Roadmap for Continuous Improvement Benchmarking Studies Completed Supply Chain Planning Manufacturing Supplier Relationship Management Customer Contact Centers Total Cost of Ownership Transportation Management Warehouse Management As you begin your benchmark study, I highly recommend that companies identify multiple points of contact to ensure the most qualified parties are contributing the most accurate data. Erin E. Smith, Supply Chain & Innovation Strategist Ashland Inc., one of the world s largest chemical companies, consists of four business units, including: Ashland Distribution distributes chemicals, plastics, and resins in North America and Europe Ashland Performance Materials manufactures and supplies specialty chemicals and customized services worldwide Ashland Water Technologies supplies chemical and non-chemical water treatment solutions for industrial, municipal, and commercial facilities Valvoline produces and markets premium packaged automotive products and is engaged in the fast oil change business Each business unit consists of comprehensive systems and processes supporting distinct supply chains. With annual sales of more than $7 billion, Ashland recognizes the value in optimizing systems and processes within and across their supply chain. Setting the Stage for Change With a goal of maintaining and improving their position as a leading chemical company, in early 2006 Ashland decided to look into optimizing its supply chain. Completing a benchmark was the logical first step in the assessment of Ashland s supply chain operations. With the recent implementation of the SAP 1 ERP system, Ashland chose to leverage the ASUG and SAP Benchmarking and Best Practices program. The fact that the service is complimentary for all ASUG members was a compelling driver for Ashland s participation in the Benchmarking program. However, a more fundamental element ended up being the real value driver. The third-party validation of strengths and weaknesses provided Ashland additional insight in building business cases to further advance their continuous improvement efforts. In fact, change management was identified as one of Ashland s biggest challenges. Ashland sought out an external review of their business operations to help the company validate their strengths and pinpoint areas for improvement. This benchmark study provided Ashland support and further knowledge of the requirements needed to achieve top quartile performance. The Solution Ashland s SAP account manager informed Ashland s Global Supply Chain of the ASUG and SAP Benchmarking and Best Practices program, and by the end of 2006, Ashland had completed the Supply Chain Planning, Manufacturing, Supplier Relationship Management, Customer Contact Centers, and Total Cost of Ownership Benchmarking studies. The final results were presented to the executive team in May More recently, they also participated in the Transportation Management and Warehouse Management studies. 1 Registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and several other countries.

16 Creating a KPI Baseline to Begin Measuring Ashland s Supply Chain 14 results Created end-to-end supply chain visibility Identified key areas of focus: working capital, extended receivables, forecasting, and automating manual processes Validated the existing process-technology roadmap Ashland s Advice for Successful Benchmarking Create a project plan Engage a strong project manager and secure executive support Be realistic when setting timelines for completion. Depending on the complexity of your organization and your team s workload, you may need to build in extra time to complete the survey Use the glossaries to level set the teams and ensure the components and measurements are calculated to industry standards Ensure data integrity and validation process Ensure buy-in on all levels of participation I see the ASUG and SAP Benchmarking and Best Practices program as a catalyst for validating the business case. Bob Ciaraldi, Manager of Supply Chain Strategy and Innovation The Results In the executive summary for Supply Chain Planning (SCP), Ashland received a customized performance scorecard that measured on-time delivery, order fulfillment lead time, inventory days of supply, inventory carrying cost as a percentage of revenue, SCP cost as a percentage of revenue, and supply chain practices maturity across all four divisions. The company also received data to compare themselves across divisions as well as against their peers. The Distribution, Water Technologies, and Performance Materials divisions performed in the top 25 percent for on-time delivery. Areas of improvement were identified and included SCP best practice adoption and various levels of Sales and Operations Planning. The benchmarking analysis showed the value of closing the gap between current performance levels and Average and 1st Quartile performers. Several areas Ashland identified to improve were working capital, inventory management, forecasting, and labor intensive processes. While the studies also highlighted where Ashland excelled, several of the lower comparative rankings were a bit of a tough sell. Some of the benchmarking results were not necessarily what the team was expecting to hear, but the fact that it came from an independent third party helped move the teams along in the process toward acceptance of the improvements needed. Transformation As stated earlier, Ashland, like many large organizations, had multiple, disparate supply chains and teams that operated in verticals. In conjunction with the adoption of benchmarking, they started to move the company toward mega-processes such as Order-To-Cash, Plan-To-Deliver, and Source-To-Pay to encourage employees to think more holistically about the end-to-end business processes that drive the company. This initiative started in 2006 as well, and while the team has seen some early success, the initiative is ongoing. Not only has Ashland created teams that are now looking at mega-process standardization, but they are also implementing the SCOR model starting with a balanced scorecard and bringing in leading best practices. One of the biggest takeaways from Ashland s benchmarking participation was validation that measurement is needed to realize improvements. The benchmarking exercise supported previous findings that process, people, and technology are all critical factors for maturing the supply chain. Conclusion Overall, the ASUG and SAP Benchmarking program helped Ashland quantify internal challenges, provide quartile rankings to top executives, and prioritize key areas for improvement. As a result of the benchmarking findings, the company s technology roadmap was further enhanced through SAP s Value Engineering recommendations. The company culture is such that they are continuously looking to improve their products, services, and processes. The ASUG and SAP Benchmarking and Best Practices program is one of the initiatives employed to provide the business visibility Ashland needs to gain acceptance for continuous improvement and drive real change across all divisions of the company.

17 ] NETWORKING AT ITS FINEST Known to his friends as Mr. Network, ASUG mentor and volunteer Bob Oldrati shares his networking approach, some examples of how his company has benefited from his networking efforts, and his thoughts on the role of the ASUG Volunteer in networking. 15 As a veteran ASUG member and volunteer, Bob believes networking is very important, even across the diversity in the SAP ecosystem. Notwithstanding size or industry, a debit is still a debit, a credit is still a credit, Accounts Payable is Accounts Payable, and inventory is inventory he says. As the IT Director and Controller at Powell Electronics, Bob has experienced first-hand the benefits of sharing experiences within his industry and beyond. He recalls the example of one of his Accounts Payable staff at Powell Electronics running into a payment proposal problem. She called an individual she had met at an ASUG event. They spoke the same language and were able to solve the problem over the phone. To Bob, that is networking at its finest. Then there was the individual he had met at an ASUG Chapter meeting who, as Bob was finalizing a project implementation plan, told Bob they were wrapping up their project, and the consultants were ready to roll off to Powell. What s more, they were local. That saved Powell 15-20% on implementation costs. Bob truly believes that ASUG makes it easy to build a peer network through community benefits like local face-to-face Chapter meetings and online access to ASUG Special Interest Groups. The premier ASUG networking experience is the ASUG Annual Conference where professionals from across the SAP ecosystem are brought together under one roof. Bob vouches for the fact that every time he and his colleagues attend an ASUG event, they learn something new, they learn to be more efficient, and they extend their peer and vendor network Whenever possible, Bob transforms the interaction with other SAP customers into networking opportunities with an invitation to call, stop in, etc. You come to Powell, and I will show you whatever you want to see; and in return I expect the same of you.. As a result of Bob s willingness to make a difference for other SAP customers, Powell received 11 such visits in the past year. This same theory applies to work too. He encourages all new Powell employees to take advantage of the company s ASUG membership benefits. Even if only to start a dialogue, it can lead to so much more. I don t know all the answers but once I start networking I am sure to find them. As for why Bob volunteers for ASUG, he says, Volunteering is not just personal networking; it s networking on behalf of the company you represent. Volunteering is more than just an opportunity to gain personal insights; it broadens your professional experience and brings back networking benefits to the company directly and indirectly. The value of ASUG networking is derived from sharing the wealth of experience within a community of SAP professionals. For Bob, it s about giving back to the ASUG community. Mr. Network has spoken. Try it. Get the dialogue going. bob oldrati ASUG INSTALLATION MEMBER MEMBER SINCE: 2000 Bob Oldrati is the IT Director and Controller for Powell Electronics in Swedesboro, NJ. He also serves as ASUG Chair for the Small and Medium Enterprises SIG and Program Chair for the Wholesale Distribution SIG at ASUG. Powell Electronics received the ASUG 2007 Impact Award for their use of SAP.

18 HOW DO I GET INVOLVED TODAY? 16 BE PART OF the world s LARGEST GROUP OF SAP PROFESSIONALS. Sign Up for an asug.com Login It only takes a few minutes to open the door to a wealth of information and resources. Simply visit asug.com and select New? Get a Login. Complete a brief membership application form, and you will automatically be sent a login and password to begin accessing the site. Encourage Your Colleagues to Sign Up Too Once your organization is a member, an unlimited number of employees can sign up for a login, so be sure to spread the news among your colleagues. The more individuals from your organization participate, the greater value you ll gain from your membership. Customize Your Preferences What do you want to hear about? Let us know by updating your preferences, and we ll tailor our communications to meet your needs. Preferences can be changed anytime by updating your online profile. Join Special Interest Groups Aligned with Your Interests With more than 83 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) offering targeted education and networking for specific industries, business processes, and technologies, there s sure to be one or more communities that map to your interests. Join SIGs to receive newsletters, announcements regarding upcoming events, and more. Scan the Online Communities Calendar With hundreds of virtual and face-to-face events offered each year, there s always something going on at ASUG. Sign up for events that meet your educational or networking needs and explore the ASUG expertise and experience. Tour asug.com asug.com is your online connection to the ASUG community. Find tools and resources to support you. Download webcasts and presentations via the Learning Center. Engage in conversations with fellow members via Discussion Forums, Blogs, myasug Network and more. Expand your universe by tapping into of asug.com. Get to Know Your ASUG Champion Each ASUG member company has a designated ASUG Champion to manage the organization s membership and communicate ASUG updates and activities within the company. Get to know your ASUG Champion to ensure you re up-to-date with the latest ASUG news and opportunities. Share Your Time and Expertise If you want to take your participation to the next level, consider volunteering with ASUG to share your knowledge and help drive the programming offered to members. For more information regarding roles and current openings, simply contact volunteers@asug.com. Connect with Your Local Chapter You would be amazed to see who is right in your backyard. With 39 Chapters across the United States and Canada, see who is just around the corner from you by joining your local Chapter. Take advantage of the robust education and networking opportunities available at Chapter Meetings which typically take place three to four times per year. ASUG Is Here For You Not sure what you re looking for or how to find something? Just give us a holler we re here to help. Contact us at or memberservices@asug.com.