The Sage conference season has drawn to a close. We've just returned from TPAC North America in Toronto, wrapping up a busy first half of the year that also took the Orchid team to Sage Partner Forum APAC in Kuala Lumpur, TPAC South Africa, and Sage Future in San Francisco.
It has been a genuine pleasure reconnecting with so many long-time partners and meeting new consultants along the way.
The community spirit in the Sage ecosystem never fails to impress us.
Thank you to everyone who joined our pre-con TeamWork Bootcamp, attended our sessions at TPAC, stopped by the booth, or simply said hello. We can't wait to see you again online - and at the next TPAC!
Three Themes that defined Toronto
1. Automation is not AI - but they need each other
AI without solid automated processes and reliable data simply won't deliver value.
The message was clear: Before chasing AI, invest in the fundamentals.
Clean data, reliable workflows, and the right automation tools are what make AI useful in practice.
For Sage 300 users, there's a rich range of ISV automation options worth exploring. We'll be digging into Orchid's own offerings at our June 2026 webinar, building on the conversations started at TPAC.
2. AI is here - the question is whether your ERP is ready
Rob Sinfield and a panel of Sage 300 partners shared their AI journeys, and the takeaway was both practical and reassuring:
- AI must be embedded in ERP - governed by permissions and grounded in your actual business data.
- Agents need context, and humans need control. Oversight isn't optional - it's the point.
- Sage is committed to building Glassbox AI - AI you can understand and trust, not a black box.
Three years on from the public launch of ChatGPT, the pace of change has been remarkable.
Getting started doesn't require a grand strategy! Begin by:
- Summarising information and helping users use what they already have.
- Ensuring humans can view the reasoning and perform final validation.
- Keeping an eye on costs.
3. Sage 300 has a seat at the AI table
JT, Sage 300's principal architect, and his team are building the infrastructure to bring Sage 300 fully into the AI era.
Two signals worth noting:
- Sage 300 Help Agent (Search Help) is the first visible AI feature to arrive - and it won't be the last.
- September 2026 (Sage version 2027) will deliver user-facing improvements, not just compliance and technical updates.
And there's more coming!
What this means for Orchid
Orchid will keep doing what we do best: developing solutions that help businesses run more efficiently and make their systems work the way they want.
We're excited about what's ahead - and glad to be building it alongside this community.
See you online soon!
