Americas' SAP Users' Group

ASUG

Type	Not-for-Profit
Industry	Technology
Founded	1991
Headquarters	Chicago, USA
Key people	Board of Directors Bridgette Chambers, Chief Executive Officer and member of Board of Directors Volunteer Board Members: Mike Stoko, Chairman Paul Phipps, Vice Chairperson Christina Crone, Finance Chairperson Anthony J. Bosco Jr., Director Mike O'Dell, Director and Chairman of the ASUG Executive Exchange Timothy (T.J.) Graven, Director, Sherryanne H. Meyer, Director Jermaine B. Patterson, Director Paul Roche , Director Keith Sturgill, Director David Wascom, Director Don Whittington, Director
Services	ASUG is an independent community of SAP experts in North America that delivers events, education, influence, and networking to its members
Website	www.asug.com

History

In 1990, SAP customers who attended the SAP annual conference “SAPPHIRE” met to form an SAP users' group.^[1] In 1991, the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) was created and now ranks as the largest independent, not-for-profit organization of SAP customer companies^[2] and SAP solution providers in the world.^[3] ASUG works closely with SAP in order to deliver education, networking, and influence to ASUG members. The strength of the partnership between SAP and ASUG is seen in many areas, most notably in the areas of product influence and the co-location of the ASUG Annual Conference with SAP's annual SAPPHIRE NOW event.^[4]

Furthermore, ASUG is one of the 12 members of the SAP User Group Executive Network (SUGEN) which is the international voice that unites regional SAP User Groups in an open and honest dialogue.

Mission

ASUG provides a forum for members to communicate mutual concerns to SAP,^[5] influence software development,^[6] exchange ideas and best practices,^[7] and establish future priorities.^[8] ASUG is dedicated to the understanding,^[9] productive use,^[10] and advancement of SAP and SAP BusinessObjects products and services.^[11]

Membership

• 3,000-plus ASUG member companies (SAP Americas’ customers, certified and non-certified SAP partners, independent consultants)
• 71 % of Installation Members (SAP Customers) represent small and medium enterprises (SME) reporting less than $1.5 Billion in revenue^[12]
• 21% of ASUG members are SAP partners and solution providers
• There are 100,000 individuals registered as ASUG members
• As of October 2007, also ASUG offers international memberships so any licensed SAP customer company can join ASUG^[13]
• On January 1, 2010, the Global BusinessObjects Network (GBN), the user community for customers of the SAP BusinessObjects solution portfolio,^[14] merged with ASUG, its parent organization
• ASUG expanded its membership offering to accommodate SAP BusinessObjects customers, and offers membership through December 31, 2012 to those SAP BusinessObjects users who operate in a non-ERP data environment

Communities

Members form communities via ASUG Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and regionally based Chapters in North America.^[15]

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Members of SIGs receive educational, networking, and influence opportunities. Ninety SIGs align with SAP and SAP BusinessObjects products and services in the following areas:^[16]

• Business Processes
• Technology
• Industry

Chapters

These communities are organized geographically into 37 Chapters throughout the USA and Canada for face-to face education and networking opportunities. Chapters host quarterly face-to-face meetings as part of membership benefits.

ASUG Events

Several educational events are held each year by ASUG.

ASUG Annual Conference

This event delivers customer-driven education, expert insight exchange, and the opportunity to engage with SAP users and partners throughout the Americas. The ASUG Annual Conference touches on all SAP products and services. The 2012 ASUG Annual Conference will take place May 14-16, 2012 in Orlando, FL.

ASUG SAP BusinessObjects User Conference

The SAP BusinessObjects User Conference is the only customer-led BusinessObjects user event of the year featuring sessions on topics such as BI strateg;, SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards/Xcelsius integration, design, and development; universe design and development; SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence; SAP Crystal Reports; and data management. The 2012 ASUG SAP BusinessObjects User Conference will take place next year September 9-12 at the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin in Orlando, FL.

ASUG Community Focus: CRM, EAM, PLM and SCM

The ASUG Community Focus event, which took place November 15-16, 2011 in Anaheim, CA, was designed for SAP professionals to meet in a more intimate setting, similar to an ASUG Chapter meeting, and featured education and other programs intended to serve the unique needs of users in the SAP Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), and Supply Chain Management (SCM) user communities.

Virtual Education Summit

This fall event, which took place September 9–10, 2009, delivered real-time education, networking, and SAP partner solutions in a virtual setting. The event included a virtual exhibit hall with ASUG Special Interest Group (SIG) Community booths and sponsor areas, and access to more than 150 education sessions that attendees could schedule to match their preferences.

Leadership

ASUG is steered by a Board of Directors^[17] which comprises eleven business and technology professionals, a full-time CEO, and one SAP representative. The Board sets the strategy and direction of the organization across all areas, and works closely with SAP^[18] to identify areas for growth and new opportunities. Daily operations are managed by the Chief Executive Officer, Bridgette Chambers, and the ASUG management team^[19] who are charged with delivering on the Board’s vision and serving the membership on a daily basis.

References

1. ^ What is ASUG?. (2002, May 9). SearchSAP.com Definitions. Retrieved on 2008-10-18.
2. ^ Bell, Erin (2008, September 28). [1]. echannelline.com Retrieved on 2008-10-18
3. ^ Americas' SAP Users' Group. (2008, September 15).SAP.info Retrieved on 2008-10-18.
4. ^ Events in America. crm2day.com Retrieved on 2008-10-29.
5. ^ Kanaracus, Chris (2008, August 13). SAP Users: Support Debate PCWorld.com Retrieved on 2008-10-29.
6. ^ Influencing SAP: User group helps define SAP strategy.. (2006, November 29). SearchSAP.com Retrieved on 2008-10-29.
7. ^ Reiser, Clint (2008, September 22). SAP EAM: Pragmatic Insights from ASUG Fall Focus. ARC Advisory Group Retrieved on 2008-10-29.
8. ^ The SAP User Groups. (2008, August 13). SAP.info Retrieved on 2008-10-29.
9. ^ EnCrisp LLC partners with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and ASUG's University Alliance.... (2008, August 15). PR Web Release Newswire Retrieved on 2008-10-29
10. ^ One City, One Process, One System. (September 2008 Edition). SAP Spectrum Retrieved on 2008-10-29
11. ^ Wailgum, Thomas (2008, July 18). SAP User Group Launches Database to Help Companies.. CIO.com Retrieved on 2008-10-18.
12. ^ 2007 ASUG Annual Report asug.com Retrieved on 2008-10-29
13. ^ Martens, China (2006, February 27). SAP User Group Opens Up to Attract New Members. ComputerWorld.com Retrieved on 2008-10-29
14. ^ [2] reuters.com Retrieved on 2009-9-29
15. ^ What We Do.asug.com Retrieved on 2008-10-29
16. ^ SAP user group head looks to the future. (January 2008). Nucleus Research Retrieved on 2008-10-29
17. ^ ASUG Leadership asug.com Retrieved on 2008-10-29
18. ^ Wailgum, Thomas (2008, July 28). Users' Group Leader Preaches Collaboration - Not Rebellion. CIO.com Retrieved on 2008-10-29
19. ^ [3] asug.com Retrieved on 2010-08-17