ICI 2014
And a Great Time Was Had by All!

Greetings and Salutations from Texas,

Last week I had the distinct honour of representing the Synchro ERP team at the 15th AFS Texas Regional held in Arlington Texas, which is also known as the "metroplex" or the D/FW area (Dallas/Fort Worth). Arlington is right smack dab in the middle between Dallas and Fort Worth and is home to the Dallas Cowboys billion dollar American football stadium, home of the Texas Rangers baseball team, Six Flags amusement park, and many other fun attractions. I actually lived in Arlington for a time many years ago when I was helping H. Ross Perot (PEA ROW) run EDS - Electronic Data Systems.

The speakers and the sessions held were top shelf with topics including green sand casting defects, cold box information, government affairs, NLRB (National Labor Relations Board), and many others. Of course, the people are what makes AFS and the AFS Texas Chapter worthwhile. I had the pleasure of meeting up with several Synchro ERP customers and even got to first hand observe our software in action as a customer was remoted into their server and was discussing weights, yields, and materials, while viewing pictures, with one of their suppliers!

The event came off without a hitch, as far as I am aware, and is a testament to the fantastic planning and organizing by the AFS Texas Chapter and AFS National. The weather was made to order for the golf tournament and the baseball game and couldn't have been better. I always enjoy meeting up with everyone in the metalcasting industry, I suppose one could say it's in my blood; I must have a high "iron count".

As a supplier to the metalcasting industry, I believe that these gatherings are critical to the continued success of Synchro ERP. The reason for continued education is that the more we learn about the needs and issues facing the industry, be it green sand defects or the impact of OSHA reporting requirement changes, the more we can focus the software and development on meeting these needs and understanding the complexities that our customers face day-in and day-out.

I am proud to be a card carrying member of the AFS! Until next time, see you on down the road.
Shane Allen / Head of Synchro ERP North American Operations