Given the current state of the global economy and its impact on HEUG members, this topic has special relevance right now. Todd Langille's comment at the recent HEUG Business Meeting was right on target. Being a part of the HEUG should be looked at as a good investment, not as a convenience or a nice thing to have. I know that I have always felt that there is a huge ROI from being a HEUG member. How do I quantify that ROI to others, especially to those in my own organization? For starters, the truth is that we haven't always done a good job of quantifying our HEUG ROI. There is the case referenced in the New Member's Welcome where a member actually calculated the savings they experienced by utilizing HEUG information to avoid a costly customization. There is also the situation where a member posted a question to a listserve and Oracle Support at the same time and got three answers from the listserve before Oracle Support assigned the case. Those are both great examples, but those two situations involved other people, not you. So, how do you calculate your HEUG ROI?
I have an idea for you to consider. Create a document on your computer called 'HEUG ROI'. Use that document to track your HEUG experience for the next few months. First, list everything that you learned at the Alliance Conference. Second, every time you either use HEUG Online or get some information from a HEUG listserve, list it on the document. After a few months, go back and look at that document as I would submit that document shows your HEUG ROI. Yes, its that simple and it really doesn't take that much time.
I think some of us may be surprised with the results of this exercise. Many of us have gotten so familiar with the HEUG that I think we tend to forget all of the various benefits we derive from being a member of the HEUG. The document from this exercise will be a good reminder that we get a lot of various benefits from being a HEUG member. More importantly, it will provide us with a real picture of our HEUG ROI.