Deciding the right ERP system to use is a challenging task, but once you decide to purchase it, you will need to know some key details to get moving. Here are 13 things you need to know about NetSuite before or after you purchase the system.
1. Consider SuiteCommerce
This is one of the many reasons that makes NetSuite so unique and powerful.
With SuiteCommerce (NetSuite ecommerce), you can make almost any change to better suit your business needs. No more having to put up with software issues and limitations. If you don’t like it, you can change it.
Plus the SuiteCommerce platform does not require any integration. It's made by NetSuite and sits right on top the NetSuite ERP.
2. Your ecommerce website is linked to your NetSuite data
Another reason NetSuite is so powerful is that your ecommerce website links directly to your backend data.
If a customer fills out a form on your website, the information is automatically populated in your NetSuite account. Managing your data is seamless and easy.
3. SuiteAnswers is now your best friend
There’s something you don’t know how to do in NetSuite? You keep getting an error? You want to know what NetSuite can even do? You can find the answers to all of these questions inside of SuiteAnswers.
In your NetSuite account, go to Support > SuiteAnswers. Here you will find all the documentation on how to use NetSuite and articles showing how to fix common errors. Check out this tutorial for more information.
4. You can host the data you need in the format you like
NetSuite has a lot of common records for things like customers, employees, vendors, etc., but sometimes you need data that there’s nowhere to put in NetSuite.
Custom record types, custom fields, custom lists, and custom forms allow your NetSuite account to hold any type of data in the exact format that you need it because you created it yourself.
You can find all this by going to the 'Customization' tab.
5. Retrieve your data with ease with Saved Searches
You can do a search on any type of record in NetSuite, even the custom record types you made. This is a fast way to organize your NetSuite data into an actionable set of information. The Saved Search support SQL so you have access to advanced logic options.
Put in your criteria, customize the results you want to see, and save the search so you can get the data you need whenever you need it.
You can even have a search run on a schedule or put it on a dashboard so you can see your most pressing data in real time.
To make a Saved Search, go to Reports > Saved Searches > All Saved Searches > New.
6. Enable the features you need and set up your website
NetSuite has a lot of powerful features, but a lot of them you need to enable in your account. Go to your NetSuite account and go to Setup > Company > Enable Features.
Are you an international company? Better check the Multiple Languages, Multiple Currencies, and Currency Exchange Rate Integration check boxes under the Company tab.
Do you want to use custom records, Advanced PDFs for custom invoices, or integrate with other companies? Then you need to make sure the correct check boxes are checked in the SuiteCloud tab.
There's so much more! Learn how to tell which features your company needs, and how to enable features in NetSuite, by reading our article on Enabling Features in NetSuite.
7. Upload the data you need with CSV Uploads
Your company has a lot of important data you need to get into NetSuite (customer, item, vendor, employee, etc.). CSV uploads help you do this quickly and easily.
You can get all the data you need in the exact places it’s supposed to be in NetSuite with CSV uploads. You can even upload into the custom records that you created for your system.
8. You can make custom branded invoice templates and emails
With Advanced PDF templates and Email templates, you can create the exact design of the invoices you want to print or email to your clients with the exact data you want them to see.
You can also customize the automatic emails that get sent to your clients when they order things from your web store so they are branded correctly and say exactly what you want them to say.
9. Bundles make your customization work easier
Do you want to put a contact form on your website so customers can easily reach out to you? Do you want it so all your items show up on one page so your customers don’t need to sift through multiple pages?
Lucky for you, there’s a bundle for those, and so many more too.
Bundles are customizations that other companies or NetSuite itself made for common things businesses need. You can add the functionality to your account with a couple button clicks.
10. Make custom roles and permissions
NetSuite has standard roles and permissions that you can give to your employees, but you can also make custom roles and permissions for employees.
This helps in 2 ways:
- Your employees can only see the information they are allowed to see
- NetSuite is simplified for each employee because they can see only the information they need to see
11. You can make custom dashboards for each employee
Besides making it so that your employees can only see the information that is pertinent to their job, you can also make each employee’s NetSuite homepage customized so they see the most important information for their jobs.
If you recall, this is where Saved Searches come in. You can find the exact data each employee needs to do his/her job, and then display it in real time on their NetSuite home page.
You can even add tables and helpful graphics.
12. Workflows make technical customization easier
Let’s say you need to make certain fields required, or you need an alert to show up under certain circumstances. Normally you would need a developer do write the code to do these.
Workflows can do these things mostly without code. You may need a little basic code for conditions, but the process is way simpler.
Workflows can do way more too; these are just a couple examples.
13. Scripts, Theme, and Extensions let you customize everything else
You couldn’t do everything you need with saved searches, workflows, and bundles? You can do it with scripts, theme changes, and extensions.
These are the highly technical skills you need a trained and experienced developer to do. What you need can be done, you just might have to hire a trained contractor to do it for you.
Congratulations! You now know about NetSuite's capabilities and how they can be used to help you.
Want to learn more with video demos and real examples? Click here to watch free video tutorials showing how to do several of the things described above, as well as other basic functions within NetSuite.
Reach Out
Anchor Group NetSuite Consultants and Developers
Do you need NetSuite implementation support or product work completed? Maybe you need someone to train your employees on the NetSuite platform? We are a family owned business here to help your business prosper. Contact our team!
Hopefully, this post gives you something to work with while trying to understand NetSuite and what it can do for your business. If you have any questions and want some free consulting advice, feel free to contact our team at Anchor Group.