TUG Chairman Don Green: It’s All About Adoption

With Don Green starting his two-year term as Chairman of TheUserGroup.org, watch for continuing emphasis on helping members get the most out of their information technology systems—and the business systems behind them.

For Green, Director of Operations at Choctaw-Kaul Distribution, it’s all about adopting change.

“We’re going to continue to help members realize a return on their technology investment, whether it’s on the current version of their software or on any upgrade they’re considering,” Green says. “It’s our job to help them continually drive the value of their overall investment.”

The other big takeaway is that adoption is not about IT alone. For Green, the ah-ha moment came from a breakout session at TUG Connects! 2016.

Technology and More

“What was amazing was how the group came to the conclusion that the greatest potential related to non-technical dimensions,” he recalls. “In the end, it was simple. How do we get our employees to adopt change? How do we address factors that really don’t have anything specific to do with software and technology? It was more on the human side to drive change all the way through an organization.”

He cites the executive track at TUG Connects! as another example of a non-technical discussion that brings a broader, more mature focus for the organization. “It used to be a group of users, a bunch of techno-geeks who got together to talk about software solutions,” he says. “TUG still does that, and it’s an important part of who we are. But in today’s TUG, there’s a much broader vision of the strategic planning we can offer impacting the whole organization, beyond just the technology group.”

Members Helping Members

The term “user-to-user”, or U2U, is almost as old as TUG itself. Green cites the transition to cloud computing as an area where the concept is as important as ever.

“So many people are embracing the concept that cloud is a bona fide business solution, and at TUG, you’ll find many members who are already making the transition,” he notes. “The ‘pay it forward’ sentiment is so essential to the TUG community, so you know people are going to share their experience and best practices.” Whether a user has a question about their Infor software, or about other cloud products, “TUG members are there to help each other out.”

Building the Community

Green says his priority as TUG Chairman will be to encourage more members find their own reasons to get involved with the organization. And he says the Board as a whole is in a strong position to carry on the growth and development TUG has seen over the last two years.

“I’m honored to be in a position where I can serve the membership in this way,” he says. “We have a strong board, we have a really strong membership, and I very much look forward to continuing to serve such a dynamic member group.”