Introduction

Evaluation-Matrix is a collaborative platform dedicated to evaluate current best enterprise management softwares. We focus on a pragmatic approach based on reliable and quantifiable criteria.

Evaluation-Matrix follows two different objectives:
* Building a rated features list reflecting users' most common needs and,
* Having a way to evaluate available softwares on the market.

Our first goal is to precisely define the list of criteria most requested on the market. This list is hierarchised based on users' most common needs. A ponderation is defined on each criteria to reflect the demand on each particular feature. The highest the ponderation is, the most requested the feature is.

Based on this list of criteria, our second goal is to evaluate the functional and technical coverage of the most used softwares. This allows us to display the result as an evaluation matrix, comparing the different solutions.

As to maintain and constantly improve the criteria and features list, Evaluation-Matrix is based on a collaborative approach. Each user can propose new criteria, vote for the ponderation of a criteria or help to evaluate a particular software.

Methodology

Evaluating a software is not an easy task as much of the features are present in several softwares in different forms: from the simplest and easiest one to the complete but complex ones. As to avoid subjectiveness of contributors, we decided to base our evaluation criteria based on factual data.

For example, we do not try to judge or vote on the quality of a feature because it depends too much on the need of a user. So, we perfer to compute the quality of a feature based on the availability of sub-features, whether they appear or not.

Bad criteria :
• Does the software have a good multi-warehouse stock management system ?
  - Adjectives like 'good' are too subjective, you should only focus on the existence of some features whether they exist or not.
• Does the software have an analytic accounting module ?
  - This question is not precise. All accounting softwares have analytic accounting features. So this should be features with several children criteria to compute the quality of the analytic accounting solution.
• Ability to create a product form ?
  - This question is not useful as all softwares will fit this criteria.

Good criteria :
• Can you define an unlimited number of warehouses for stock management ?

About Us

Evaluation-Matrix has been made by a group of people sharing the same interests in enterprise management softwares. We often have to compare different softwares or to find the software that fits best to the customer need. As to avoid redoing each time the same study or comparisons, we decided to setup this platform.

In January 2009, we launched evaluation-matrix starting with the current 5 most important ERP softwares in the world: SAP, Microsoft Navision, Sage L100, Open ERP and Open Bravo.

To start with a complete content, we sub-contracted evaluations for the softwares we did not have any specific knowledge. It allowed us to launch evaluation-matrix with about 950 criteria and the evaluation of these criteria for the selected softwares.

We plan to extend the evaluation matrix to new applications. Feel free to contact us to send us a suggestion.