VISUAL Builds Race Cars

Bay Shore, New York—

Synergy Resources, a leading provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solutions and services, and Infor, one of the largest global providers of business software, recently announced a gift of software and services to Farmingdale State College for its business and computer systems classes. The gift, which has a commercial value of close to $200,000, includes Infor ERP VISUAL software from Infor and implementation and training services from Synergy Resources. Through this gift, students will learn how to apply technology to manage a company’s integrated supply chain from manufacturing and purchasing to warehousing and distribution. Synergy Resources has been selling, implementing, and supporting the Infor ERP VISUAL product line since it was first introduced in 1992.

“Our customers, who operate small and midsize manufacturing companies, tell us that they struggle to find qualified people who are experienced in supply chain management technology,” explains Gene Caiola of Synergy Resources. “We recognize the growing need for management students to gain a working knowledge of ERP systems and we see this as an opportunity to give back to the community. The program will help to fill the demand for these skills in local manufacturing companies.”

Dr. W. Hubert Keen, President of Farmingdale State College, believes that providing hands-on experience with ERP technology will be extremely beneficial to the school’s curriculum. “Farmingdale students will have a competitive advantage when they graduate and are seeking employment since they will have experience with an ERP application that is much in demand by industry,” said Dr. Keen. Synergy is key to executing the lean best practices. “Thousands of manufacturers globally depend on Infor ERP VISUAL to gain insight into their supply chain, improve compliance management and support lean manufacturing initiatives,” said Kevin Piotrowski, director, industry & product marketing, at Infor. “Through this joint gift, the students at Farmingdale State College gain a technology platform on which to learn the principles of manufacturing and supply chain management. This experience can translate into a valuable asset as they embark on their future careers.”

Gene Caiola is an alumnus of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and sees Synergy Resources as a logical partner for the program. “As a community business leader, I value my relationship with Farmingdale State College. At Synergy Resources, our goal is to help manufacturers stay competitive in the global economy by giving them the tools to run more efficiently and ultimately improve their profitability. What we bring to the table, along with Infor, is leading edge technology and best business practices. Giving students the opportunity to learn VISUAL in the classroom will give those students a competitive edge in the job market. In turn, the Farmingdale program will help to strengthen the manufacturing and supply chain skills base in the local area.”

Professors in the business management and computer systems departments plan to run two pilot courses this summer with official implementation in fall 2008. “We look forward to preparing our students for entry into the workforce by utilizing this software application within our course materials,” says Farmingdale Professor Jill O’Sullivan. “Learning how to use enterprise resource planning software will enable our students to better position themselves for success. With Synergy and Infor we are bridging the gap between the business world and academia in an effort to increase our students’ opportunities in the future.”