Hosts Chandra and Paul recap their experiences at the Blueprint 4D conference in Las Vegas, highlighting the increased attendance, energetic participation, and the influx of new faces within the JD Edwards (JDE) community. Chandra shares insights from wrapping up the Emerging Leaders Program, including rewarding group projects and building connections through vulnerability and teamwork. The hosts discuss the Executive Forum, focusing on leadership, rapid change management, data governance, communication styles, and the rising importance of empathy in IT. They note a significant conference shift: AI-related sessions outnumbered Orchestrator topics for the first time, reflecting AI’s growing impact and the challenges of adoption and documentation. Customer case studies showcased successful strategies for keeping JDE systems current and capitalizing on new features. The episode also features Chandra’s favorite fun session involving magic and comedy, and the duo’s reflections on their own live podcast event.  

00:48 The Struggle Is Real 

07:06 ELP Wrap Up 

11:10 Executive Forum Highlights  

16:16 Highlights from the Chris Laping’s Keynote Sessions 

19:36 JDE Keynote Highlight: 2005 Called — It Wants Its ERP Back   

22:17 Is it true there were More AI Sessions than Orchestrator Sessions? 

28:39 Customer Success Stories 

32:00 Magic, Laughter, and Lingo Bingo   

35:54 Midwesternism of the Day 

If you have concerns or feedback on this episode or ideas for future episodes, please contact us at [email protected].