When reviewing any accounting software solution, I think that it is important to understand how the product is different from its competitors. All products are developed with different tools, different philosophies, and with different objectives in mind. All products are targeted towards different sized customers, and different industries. When evaluating products, it is easy to get bogged down in the overwhelming complexity of the systems. The reality is that all accounting systems have a general ledger with account numbers and financial reports; they all have an average accounts payable module that works fine; they all have a bevy of standard features. Studying these common elements of an accounting system will get you nowhere. It is the key differences that provide keen insights that will allow you to effectively identify and select the right product for your needs. With this spirit in mind, presented below are the key characteristics that set Microsoft Axapta apart from its competitors: * Very Powerful - Microsoft Axapta has developed a reputation for being extremely powerful with a deep set of features. For example, when I select all of the inventory and manufacturing features in the Accounting Library tool which profiles the top 150 accounting software products in the united States, Axapta is rated as the number one product, edging out other powerful Tier 1 ERP products such as SAP (by a margin of 99% to 94%), PeopleSoft (by a margin of 99% to 93%); and JD Edwards (by a margin of 99% to 83%). Partial results of this test are shown in the screen below.