I just returned from Reno, Nevada and the 2021 NPMA NES Conference.
It was incredibly nice to get back in-person with good people who are dedicated to their profession and who can appreciate the importance of continuous improvement of their skills and knowledge.
The NPMA organizing team seemed to pull off the unimaginable: a hybrid show of in-person and virtual attendees with rich and meaningful presentations on important and developing topics from FIAR implication to how DCMA audits are evolving in the industry.
IUID Compliance and Audit Readiness
A2B Tracking had a big week at the show. Sharrieff Christmas and Dan Faria pulled off a hybrid presentation on IUID Compliance to the in-person and virtual audiences. Sharrieff stepped up to the podium for another breakout session on Thursday to discuss RFID Asset Tracking and why it’s an important technology for property managers to consider.
I enjoyed delivering an update to my session on FIAR and why property managers (Property in the Possession of Contractors) have been cast into the spotlight. We stepped through the notion that audit sustainability has to be a strategy that contractors need to be acting upon in 2021. There is too much to risk otherwise.
Interestingly, this session stimulated some new discussions around IT assets and the need for IT departments to be SOC1 compliant. Perhaps a future session for someone at NPMA.
A few of my own highlights included the opportunity to do a 20-minute Ted Talk style presentation on the future of government property management systems. I explained the specific system capabilities and requirements that organizations need as core functionality in their Property Management System in order to support the growing demands of accurate data, reporting and audits.
Automation and Lunch
A2B Tracking also hosted a great, customer lunch to express our appreciation for our customers and to share some of the exciting new technologies and innovations that A2B has created since we had last met face-to-face 2 years ago. We discussed new developments in regards to both Government Property Management and RFID asset tracking.
Automation was a very strong theme at the A2B Tracking luncheon — but also throughout the NPMA conference. I firmly believe that the power of an automated data exchange is truly critical for Property Managers to accurately and efficiently report to government systems. And furthermore, Auto-ID technology through the use of advanced barcode and RFID technology is essential for maintaining property data in order to maintain the book-to-floor and floor-to-book obligations to support the broader government clean audit opinions.
Best of all, was the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, share a few drinks together and a meal or two.
All of this was a first step to getting everyone back together and we hope that that translates to many more attending next year’s NES conference in Dallas.
