Packerland User Group January 2026 Meeting (PLUG)
C&A Technology (CAT) will be attending the first Packerland User Group (PLUG) meeting of 2026 on Thursday, January 22nd, at La Sure’s Banquet Hall in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It’s a solid way to kick off the year, and we’re looking forward to being part of the conversation.
The meeting begins with a hot breakfast at 8:30 a.m., followed by a session titled “A Case Study in Driving Tech Adoption Beyond the IT Department.” It’s a topic that resonates with many JD Edwards teams, especially those working to extend technology value beyond IT.
The morning continues with a keynote presentation at 10:30 a.m., followed by time set aside for networking and discussion before lunch.
In the afternoon, attendees can choose from a series of breakout sessions focused on JD Edwards topics, practical use cases, and shared experiences from across the user group.
If you’ll be attending PLUG, we’d welcome the opportunity to connect, compare notes, and talk through what you’re seeing in your JD Edwards environment. These meetings tend to spark the kind of conversations that carry well beyond the day itself—and we’re glad to be there.
Don’t miss the chance to connect with other JD Edwards users and take part in practical conversations
**** AGENDA ****
8:15am – 8:30am – REGISTRATION / CHECK IN
8:30am – 9:00am – BREAKFAST
9:00am – 10:00am - A Case Study in Driving Tech Adoption Beyond the IT Department given by Amanda Van Den Elzen from Better Work Training
Digital transformation is rarely a purely technical hurdle; it is a human one. For IT professionals managing robust systems like JD Edwards, the challenge lies in ensuring that powerful tools, whether an ERP update or a new AI assistant, actually integrate into the daily habits of the workforce. Drawing on real-world experience leading a Microsoft Copilot rollout and developing "citizen developer" programs for Finance and Operations, this session provides a practitioner’s perspective on driving technology adoption.
Through the lens of a Microsoft Copilot case study, we will explore the strategies used to transition non-technical employees from initial resistance to active proficiency. We will discuss how to move beyond feature-based training toward a value-driven approach that prioritizes departmental "WIIFM" (What’s In It For Me). Participants will leave with actionable insights on identifying adoption "gotchas," aligning messaging across functions, and building a scalable framework for any future technology rollout.
At the conclusion of this session, learners will have the ability to download a PDF Checklist to ensure repeatability and application of the learning objectives from the session.
● Determine "WIIFM" Across Functions: Establish a framework for identifying (and communicating) the unique value proposition of a new tool for distinct business units to ensure cross-departmental buy-in.
● Align Messaging and Training: Learn to design educational programs that translate technical capabilities into departmental value, specifically for non-technical functions like Finance and Operations.
● Cultivate a Culture of Peer-Led Innovation: Learn how to move beyond traditional top-down training by establishing user groups and communities of practice that encourage experimentation, knowledge sharing, and internal champions.
10:30am – 11:30am – Smarter Analytics: Where AI Meets Data Visualization presented by Drew Robb from ERP Suites
Building practical AI solutions starts with understanding the steps needed to create a solid use case, the fundamentals of machine learning, and how newer tools-like large language models-can enhance everyday analytics. In this session, you will learn how these pieces fit together to create dashboards that are easier to understand, more helpful, and more connected to real business needs. We will cover how modern AI can:
• Help teams identify and frame strong AI use cases by focusing on clear business goals, data readiness, and measurable outcomes.
• Explain the basics of machine learning in simple terms-how models learn from data, how they make predictions, and where they are most useful in day-to-day operations.
• Combine machine learning with large language models to create smarter analytic dashboards that highlight important trends, answer natural-language questions, and offer easy-to-use insights.
• Look ahead at what's coming next with Agentic AI-systems that can take on more complex tasks, automate multi-step workflows, and support decision-making in new ways.
By connecting practical AI concepts with accessible tools, this session will help you move from basic reporting to analytics that genuinely support better decisions and future-ready innovation.
11:30am – 1:00pm – NETWORKING BREAK / LUNCH sponsored by Medius
1:00pm – WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
1:15pm – 2:15pm – BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Option A
Invoice Fraud and Rick Management: Understand the Relevance presented by Anthony Chirico from Medius
Organizations are facing an escalating threat of invoice fraud, with finance teams increasingly targeted and traditional defenses failing to keep pace. Manual AP processes, retrospective audits, and disconnected fraud tools leave costly gaps, contributing to average annual fraud losses of over $300,000 for U.S. businesses. Invoice fraud is rising, and traditional manual reviews and after-the-fact audits are no longer enough to protect finance teams. By embedding AI-powered controls directly into the AP process, provides continuous monitoring, real-time anomaly detection, and clear visibility into risk. Eliminate gaps created by manual processes and disconnected tools—allowing organizations to catch fraud earlier, enforce policies automatically, and reduce operational costs. With seamless integration to JDE, companies can quickly strengthen their fraud posture and confidently safeguard their spend.
By focusing on intelligent automation and AI, businesses can create more efficient, streamlined operations, ultimately leading to better outcomes and a competitive edge in the market.
Option B
Transforming JD Edwards with Oracle Cloud and AI Innovations presented by the Oracle Team; Cameron Moore, Matt Modean, and Chad Sellers (Virtually)
This session explores the strategic advantages of running JD Edwards (JDE) on Cloud Infrastructure. We’ll highlight how recent Oracle AI World innovations—such as GenAI services, AI agents, and AI-enabled security—can be practically applied to JDE for improved automation, analytics, and intelligent process flows. Attendees will see how to integrate JDE tools like Orchestrator and Logic Extensions with AI to drive efficiency in areas such as invoice processing and predictive maintenance. We’ll cover technical patterns, governance, and change management, emphasizing a secure, future-ready approach to AI-driven digital transformation.
2:15pm – 3:00pm – NETWORKING / BREAK
3:00pm – 4:00pm – BREAKOUT SESSION
Option A
Revolutionizing Business Operations with Intelligent Automation and AI presented by Julie Morrison from Denovo
In today's fast-paced business environment, enhancing day-to-day operations through innovative technology is crucial. Automation plays a key role in streamlining processes and boosting efficiency, allowing businesses to focus on their core activities. Leveraging the power of AI, companies can implement intelligent solutions that adapt and evolve with their needs.
A significant advancement in this field is the development of Small Language Models (SLMs). These models are easier to create, less complex, and simpler to implement compared to traditional models, while still being smart enough to learn and improve over time. Small Language Models (SLMs) are more cost-effective than Large Language Models (LLMs) due to their lower computational and storage requirements, making them cheaper to deploy and run. While LLMs offer broader capabilities, SLMs are ideal for targeted tasks and can be deployed on local infrastructures without massive investments. We will present a few custom tools that offer features beyond standard solutions, providing unique capabilities that enhance productivity and operational efficiency.
Option B
Take Your JD Edwards Game to the Next Level with EnterpriseOne Widgets! presented by Justen Geiger & Matt Sohrweide from J. Geiger Consulting
One of the most powerful new features of JD Edwards release 25 (and enhanced in release 26) is a new UDO, EnterpriseOne Widgets. This powerful tool allows you to create, publish, and visualize data that an orchestration can produce! Think of it as an evolution of Watchlists by allowing the source of data to come from orchestration output. Widgets are not simply the badges you have seen with Watchlists but allow for visualizations such as bar or pie charts as well as gauges to keep track of metrics within a range.
This is what executives and leaders in your organization have been asking for, a way to see what is happening in JDE at a glance whether it be sales, purchasing or even manufacturing! Did I mention it is included as part of your JD Edwards licensing was long as you are on the April update for Release 25? Let us show you how you take the “digital gold” within your JD Edwards instance and mine for actionable and visualizable output!
4:00pm or when session done – GIVEAWAYS
If you need a hotel room, this location is connected to the Cobblestone Suites, please call 920.303.1133 and mention 'PLUG meeting' when making the reservation.