You, Me and Dynamics GP
GPWindow.com is taking an interesting approach to reviewing third party software for Dynamics GP. First, some background though.
Third party products are often referred to as ISV (independent software vendor) solutions. Microsoft maintains a list of solutions as does ISV-Central.com. ISV-Central allows logged in users to rate ISV software based on multiple criteria using a 1-5 scale.
Both of these solutions make some use of crowd sourcing to help companies find the right ISV solution for their issue.
There is really just one issue outstanding. I don’t think that you will find many negative reviews, certainly not by consultants. Often as consultants we have good solutions that we like for common scenarios. In other cases there are only one or two ISV solutions that meet a particular need. We may not be thrilled with the solution but we know the issues and we know how to make it work.
I have products that I would prefer not to implement. But if that is the right solution for the client’s situation, I’m not going to jeopardize my relationship with an ISV by publicly bashing their product. In an ironic twist, companies need more help from ISV’s to implement less reliable products. Even end users aren’t immune to positively rating the software they helped select.
So my general advice would be that positive reviews are generally pretty reliable. The absence of a review should not be construed as negative since it could just mean that no one has taken the time to review it. Also, for more complicated ISV solutions, the implementation and the consultant are as important as the software but poor implementation can be reflected in software reviews.
If you really want to know the inside scoop for a potential ISV solution your best bet right now is still to ask your partner.
