For a Small Company IT Director, Microsoft TAP Program for AX Has Been Highly Instructive, But Would He Do It Again?

Bob Jablonski, the IT guy for a hundred-person manufacturer and distributor,  can't say enough good things about his experience having helped shape Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, which was just announced at Convergence 2011 in Atlanta.

Jablonski and his company, Hydra-Power Systems Inc., have been participating in Microsoft's Technology Adoption Program (TAP) for Dynamics AX over the last three years. Participation involves working directly with members of the Dynamics AX team as they formulate revisions and new features to go with Dynamics AX 2012.

"It's strengthened the depth of my knowledge and appreciation of AX," says Jablonski. "The best thing has been all the people at Microsoft I have worked with. That's been refreshing to me. I've found they're just a bunch of hard working people trying to do the right thing."

He and his boss decided to pursue TAP "to try to influence how AX was going to work for us," he says. Candidates must be accepted by Microsoft, after filling out a form and participating in an interview.

In the end, says Jablonski, "We did influence the user interface," in particular, the order entry interface, as to how inventory is treated based on whether it is stocked at the company or sent directly by a supplier to a customer.  Jablonski also feels he had an impact on "future features and direction."

Would he go through the TAP process again? "I probably would, but I'm not sure my boss would let me," he says. The problem? "Time is a big thing. There is an expense associated with doing it."

At one point, he says, "I was maintaining eight environments. Now it's down to four."

Jablonski's boss probably won't have ...