I have been using Open Water daily since 2021 and I will continue to do so. For the moment, I haven't found a reason to stop doing it or to look for an alternative option. This is because OpenWater has always been able to find new uses of OpenWater or adapt it to our new needs. Given my use of OpenWater, I consider I know it very well.
Out of all the features, the judging process is probably my favourite. The review process of the 1600+ sessions we receive involves more than 80 internal and external experts. We divide the experts according to programmatic areas. Open Water then allows you to assign the proposals by category. It also lets you decide how many sessions each expert should evaluate and other features. It is a very personalized and user friendly experience. Sessions can also be assigned randomly at first, and then easily moved between judges as needed, ensuring that the right expert evaluates each proposal. If the review process is key to your work, then OW is definitely worth it.
In addition, one of the best aspects of OpenWater is its library of resources, for example, their online training. I do it every year before we begin our review cycle to refresh myself. There is always one feature that you forget that you can use to make better. If you are not DIY, which I am, their customer service is amazing and you can always count on them. They are always there to answer any question that you need or to help you come up with an answer to a problem that is bothering you. In summary, the platform offers an excellent balance between responsive customer support and comprehensive resources for self-learning.
The above has allowed us to implement new features each year that improve our workflow and make the system even easier to use. I now only contact customer support when I encounter a significant issue, and their responses are always prompt and direct me to helpful resources. On this point, ease of of implementation is guaranteed. I truly enjoy working with our account manager.
In terms of value (money), it is a good option. I like that it does not charge per application or participant. This is a great feature, especially, if you don't know how many submissions you plan to receive for your different programs. I know that some other companies prices based on limits. Also, depending on your package, you can have different programs. We use severa and this is positive because you can have a different program for each of your needs.
While most folk used OW for grant or scholarship management, we use it to collect session proposals for our yearly conference. The overall process is quite similar, and we collaborate with OW to refine our evaluation process to fit our needs. The number of features really is in line with our needs.
In case you need it, they also have an integrations hub. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
It is true that OpenWater could enhance its Dashboard. It can be difficult to follow all the key data points of your program. For example, seeing how many sessions have been submitted, completed, or are still in process is not always straightforward. Plus, the look and feel is outdated.
However, the reporting features is amazing and compensates the above. It is really tailored to any report that you need.
As for the interface, it may have looked outdated until recently, but they are currently working on a redesign, which I am very much looking forward to but still waiting for. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
Thank you for sharing such a detailed and thoughtful review, Luis! We’re delighted to hear OpenWater continues to support your complex conference program and evolving needs. It’s great to know the judging workflow, flexibility, integrations, and support resources have helped you scale and refine your processes over time. We truly appreciate your feedback on dashboards and design, and we’re excited for you to see the improvements ahead!
