First Industry Builder Solutions Ship

As part of its Industry Builder initiative Microsoft and partners have delivered five new business management solutions based on Axapta, a high-end enterprise resource planning (ERP) product from Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS). The solutions cover a range of industries, including retail and professional services, and are the first to carry the Industry Builder designation, which certifies the financial stability of solution providers and the quality of their custom code (such as add-on modules). Although Microsoft intends to expand the Industry Builder program to other products, such as Great Plains, it has not announced solutions for products other than Axapta.

Program Assuages Customer Concerns

Although the MBS ERP products (Axapta, Great Plains, Navision, and Solomon) offer relatively broad business management functionality, the products typically require customization to fit the needs of specific companies and industries. Partners have traditionally filled this gap, building industry-specific solutions on top of the MBS products. This approach minimizes Microsoft’s overhead, allowing it to focus on broadly applicable features, and creates a niche for partners. However, it raises concerns for some customers. For example, customers have questioned whether third-party customizations are held to the same quality standards as Microsoft products and have expressed concern that lack of a single point of accountability could cause problems in resolving technical problems.