Why the end of Microsoft Dynamics GP exam certifications is bad news for customers

Recent announcements have Microsoft retiring certifications for Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL, and NAV (but not Dynamics AX and CRM). This may have some partners breathing a sigh of relief because keeping up with certifications, while an individual achievement, still takes away from work that could be translated into billable hours. But for partners and people like myself, who have been in the channel for years and have been certified on every product release possible, certifications were just a part of doing business - maybe not an enjoyable part, but one that served a purpose. Heck, it was a proud accomplishment!

Now that those days are gone, let's look at back at the history of GP certifications to see how we got to this point and what these changes could mean for the future...

In 2000, the big transition from Great Plains Software ("GPS") to Microsoft saw an impact on certification achievements. GPS had certifications for just about every area of the application: Financials, Distribution, Manufacturing, Field Services, Project Accounting, Integration Manager, Report Writer, two levels of certifications for Dexterity developers - the Dex Certified Systems Engineer, and the Dex Certified Integration Developer - and the pinnacle, Certified Installation Specialist (CIS), which showed your expertise with the product installation.

When the transition was completed, space was made under the Microsoft Certified Professional program for the Financials and Distribution, while Field Services, Manufacturing, and Project Accounting became elective exams. The CIS exam then became known as the Microsoft Dynamics GP Installation and Configuration Exam. Exams like Integration Manager and the two Dex certification exams were axed from the program. In fact, most individuals who had attained certifications up to version 5.0 at the time were automatically grandfathered into the ...