Why This Post?
Normally, I focus my writing on deep technical content, practical how-tos, or field experiences with Microsoft infrastructure technologies. But this time, I want to step briefly out of that usual lane. I felt compelled to write this article—not to share a technical trick, but to motivate the SCOM community, especially System Center Operations Manager users and admins. My goal is to raise awareness about something that is often overlooked:
your voice matters—and it has a direct path to those building the product.
Why Your Feedback Matters More Than Ever
Every technical user understands how important it is to interact closely with the products they rely on daily. Whether you’re troubleshooting an issue, encountering a bug, or identifying a design limitation, your feedback isn’t just helpful—it’s absolutely vital. Your insights as a user directly shape the development, refinement, and long-term quality of these products, helping ensure they evolve into tools that are more efficient, reliable, and user-friendly.
This is especially true for System Center Operations Manager (SCOM). Throughout my career, I’ve spoken with many customers who expressed the same wish: “I wish I could provide feedback directly to the SCOM team—to suggest features, influence priorities, or at least report issues that affect our day-to-day operations.” Well, the good news is: you can.
From UserVoice to the Microsoft Feedback Portal
In the past, platforms like UserVoice served as a direct feedback channel to Microsoft product teams. It allowed users to suggest enhancements, report issues, and engage in transparent dialogue with developers—helping shape the products from the outside in.
Recently, Microsoft retired UserVoice in favor of a more centralized platform: the Microsoft Feedback Portal, accessible here:
This new portal provides a unified experience for users across all Microsoft products to share feedback, track progress, and see how their input is being considered.
SCOM Has Its Own Dedicated Feedback Channel
The great news for the SCOM community is that SCOM has a dedicated feedback page within the portal:
Here, you can:
- Report bugs and reliability issues.
- Propose new features or UI improvements.
- Suggest changes to existing functionality.
- Vote on feedback submitted by others.
How to Use the Feedback Site
To participate, simply sign in using your Microsoft account credentials—this ensures a secure and personalized experience. Once logged in, you can post new feedback entries or browse and engage with existing ones.
The portal includes useful filters and categorization tools:
- Groups: Filter feedback based on specific SCOM components or functional areas.
- Categories: Organize feedback into sections like Bug Reports, Feature Requests, or General Improvements.
- Stages: See the current status of each item—e.g., New, Under Review, Planned, Started, Completed, or Declined. This adds transparency and shows how actively items are being evaluated by the product team.
Each entry can also be upvoted by the community. Upvotes highlight the importance of a feature or issue and help prioritize the product team’s backlog. The more votes an idea or bug receives, the higher its chances of being addressed.
Yes—The Product Team Is Listening
One of the strongest aspects of this portal is its direct connection to the SCOM Product Group, based in Hyderabad, India. They actively monitor submitted feedback and use a structured triage process to evaluate each item for urgency, feasibility, and impact.
This means:
- Your bug reports are reviewed.
- High-impact feature requests are taken seriously.
- You can directly influence the roadmap of System Center Operations Manager.
But of course, this only works if you provide your feedback.
Make Your Voice Count
Your voice carries weight. By actively participating in this feedback process, you’re not just reporting issues—you’re shaping the future of SCOM. You’re helping ensure it remains aligned with real-world operational needs and continues to deliver value to organizations like yours.
I encourage everyone in the SCOM community to use this valuable platform. Whether you’re a consultant, admin, engineer, or architect—your experiences and suggestions matter.
Take action today:
Visit the feedback portal. Share your thoughts. Upvote issues that affect you. Propose improvements based on your real-world experience.
You can help make SCOM better—for yourself and for the entire community.