The Root Group, the official customer user group for Rootstock Software’s #1 Manufacturing Cloud ERP on the Salesforce Platform, today announced the launch of its new brand, mission, charter, advisory board, and website.
“Our user group originated at the Rootstock customer conference last year,” said Chad Wright, CIO of Boston Dynamics and Chair of The Root Group. “Since then, we’ve made significant progress in getting organized. We now have an advisory board. Together, we developed our brand and charter, which defines how we operate. Our members are all volunteers, and the group is entirely customer-driven, so it’s run by the people, for the people. Our next step is to reach out to customers and grow our membership.”
Wright has written a blog about the group’s milestones and key benefits to its members. In short, he recommends that if manufacturing professionals are using Rootstock as their core solution, or if their career is to oversee manufacturing operations—like engineering, production, supply chain, or inventory—then there’s a lot to gain by getting involved.
Today, Wright is CIO of a major robotics company and was recognized last year with an ORBIE CIO of the Year Award, but as he was progressing in his career, he joined many users’ groups. “They provided a means to network and validate what I was doing within my own organization. I shared best practices, and I learned a lot from fellow members. I applied lessons, and I got better at my job. Ultimately, users’ groups can significantly help to advance your career,” noted Wright.
Jennifer Beauregard, System Administrator at Nano Magic and Secretary of The Root Group, added, “The group appealed to me because Rootstock ERP is built on the Salesforce Platform, so there are many different things you can do with the solution, and various ways to configure it. Within The Root Group, you can have informal conversations and ask questions of one another. For example, you could say, ‘This is how we process our sales orders. How do you handle yours?’ You may find someone else is handling things differently—and those processes might work for you as well.”
Beauregard’s company, Nano Magic, has been using Rootstock Manufacturing ERP for three years now. “It’s our core solution, handling about 80% of our company’s operations. Prior to Rootstock, we were using Salesforce, but we had a legacy ERP that forced us to re-enter information. When we went looking for a new ERP, we were excited to learn Rootstock was native to Salesforce. Now, all our data is on one platform. Ultimately, I want to stay at the cutting-edge of what’s possible with Rootstock. Getting involved in The Root Group has been one way to ensure success—all the members are so helpful, and they want to share information to empower one another to succeed.”
“It’s been a pleasure to watch The Root Group grow and mature,” said David Stephans, CEO of Rootstock Software. “The group operates independently, outlining its own goals and activities, but they can always count on Rootstock for complete support.”
The Root Group is currently planning its first member meeting in March. From there, it will host quarterly meetings. They’re also planning to develop user-led sessions for the next Rootstock customer conference in November.
“Now is a great time for Rootstock customers to join,” added Wright. “We’ll soon be surveying members to find out what topics are most important to them. All members will be asked to contribute their thoughts, ideas, and feedback for this year’s agenda.”
In addition to Wright and Beauregard, some of the other customers on The Root Group advisory board include:
Chris Crowley, Zyno Solutions
Keith Jackson, Mark Andy, Inc.
Ryan Petrey, Teys USA
Andrew Russo, BACA Systems
Scott Schwab, SRW Products (who also serves as Treasurer)
Gabriela Sheehan, Boston Dynamics
Nick Turner, Nano Magic
Stacey Wiley, Beta Bionics
Mike Wind, Precisional LLC
About Rootstock
At Rootstock Software, our connected Manufacturing Cloud ERP enables hundreds of manufacturers, distributors, and supply chain organizations to turbocharge their operations in a dynamic, post-pandemic world. With our solution natively built on the Salesforce Platform, our customers leverage the industry’s leading Cloud ERP, Rootstock, to connect with their suppliers, trading partners, and the broader ecosystem.
Ranked as a leader in the ERP Value Matrix by industry analysts, Rootstock has vertical expertise in discrete manufacturing, medical devices and high-tech verticals. Rootstock team members partner with customers as trusted advisors in driving change and transformation to what’s next.
