If you're considering implementing NetSuite, it's important to understand what it is, its key components, and the benefits it can bring to your business. In this guide, we'll take you through the process of preparing for and implementing NetSuite, from assessing your business needs to training your users and providing post-implementation support.
Understanding NetSuite Implementation
What is NetSuite?
NetSuite is a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that allows businesses to manage various aspects of their operations, including financials, customer relationship management, inventory, e-commerce, and more. NetSuite is known for its customisable dashboards, real-time data visibility, and scalability, making it a popular choice for businesses of all sizes and industries.
With NetSuite, you can manage all aspects of your business in one system, reducing the need for manual processes and improving efficiency. Whether you're a small business owner or a large enterprise, NetSuite can help you streamline your operations and make data-driven decisions.
Key Components of NetSuite
There are several key components to NetSuite that make it a comprehensive ERP solution:
Financial Management: This includes financial planning, budgeting, accounting, and reporting. You can easily manage your financials and get real-time insights into your business performance.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM): This includes managing customer data, creating quotes and orders, and handling support cases. You'll be able to better manage your customer data and experiences, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.
Supply Chain Management: This includes inventory management, purchasing, order fulfilment, and shipping. You'll be able to manage your inventory levels, track orders, and streamline your shipping processes.
E-commerce: This allows businesses to sell their products online through an integrated web store or other channels.
Professional Services Automation (PSA): This includes project management, time and expense tracking, and resource management for service-based businesses. With NetSuite's PSA functionality, you'll be able to manage your projects, track your time and expenses, and allocate resources more efficiently.
Benefits of Implementing NetSuite
Implementing NetSuite can bring numerous benefits to your business, including:
Streamlined Operations: Having all aspects of your business managed in one system can reduce manual processes and improve efficiency. With NetSuite, you can automate your workflows and reduce the need for manual data entry.
Real-Time Data Visibility: With NetSuite's customisable dashboards, you can get real-time insights into your business performance and make data-driven decisions. Whether you're tracking your financials, monitoring your inventory levels, or managing your customer data, NetSuite can provide you with the data you need to succeed.
Scalability: As your business grows, NetSuite can scale to accommodate your needs, without requiring major software changes. Whether you're adding new products, expanding your operations, or entering new markets, NetSuite can help you stay ahead of the competition.
Improved Customer Experience: With the integrated CRM functionality, you can better manage customer data and experiences, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty. Whether you're responding to support cases, creating quotes and orders, or managing your marketing campaigns, NetSuite can help you deliver a better customer experience.
Reduced Costs: By automating manual processes and reducing errors, you can save time and money. With NetSuite, you can streamline your operations and reduce the need for manual data entry, freeing up your time and resources for more strategic initiatives.
Overall, NetSuite is a comprehensive ERP solution that can help businesses of all sizes and industries manage their operations more efficiently and effectively.
Preparing for NetSuite Implementation
Now that we've covered what NetSuite is and it's many benefits, we'll take you through the careful planning and preparation that is needed to ensure a successful rollout.
Assessing Your Business Needs
Before implementing NetSuite, it's important to assess your business needs and goals. This includes identifying the specific features and modules you'll need, as well as understanding your current processes and pain points.
One way to get a clearer understanding of your current workflows and areas for improvement is to conduct a business process review. This can help you identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks in your current processes, as well as opportunities for automation and optimisation.
By understanding your business needs and pain points, you can better define your implementation goals and requirements. This will help ensure that your NetSuite implementation is tailored to your specific business needs.
Setting Implementation Goals
Setting clear implementation goals is crucial for a successful NetSuite rollout. This includes identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success, and defining a timeline for the implementation.
When setting your implementation goals, it's important to make sure they are SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This will help ensure that your goals are realistic and aligned with your overall business objectives.
Examples of SMART implementation goals might include reducing order processing time by 50%, increasing customer satisfaction ratings by 20%, or improving inventory accuracy to 99%.
Assembling Your Implementation Team
Implementing NetSuite requires a dedicated team with the right skills and expertise. Although the majority of the implementation will be carried out by your NetSuite partner, the success of the project is heavily reliant on a strong internal team.
Effective communication is key, and your implementation team should be able to clearly communicate business processes, data, goals, and progress to all stakeholders, including executives, managers, and end-users.
Choosing a NetSuite Partner
Choosing the right NetSuite partner can make all the difference in a successful implementation. The wrong partner can turn a pretty straight forward process into a nightmare, so it’s important to spend time assessing and choosing the best partner for your business.
Look for a partner with experience in your industry, a proven implementation methodology, and a strong customer support program. When evaluating potential partners, be sure to ask for references from previous clients. This can help you get a better sense of their track record of success and their ability to deliver on their promises.
Agreeing a good price
The cost of a NetSuite implementation can vary significantly depending on your business needs. If your business only requires a few NetSuite modules, no customisations, and you only operate across one entity, then the costs will be fairly low. However, if you operate across multiple entities and require significant customisations, then the implementation will be longer and therefore more costly.
On average, NetSuite partners will charge anywhere from $600-$1600 per day, and implementations can take anywhere from 2 months to a year. So in total, you could be spending anywhere from $10,000 to $250,000. It’s important that you understand your budget before deciding on an ERP system, and again when deciding on implementation partners. It is also important to factor an element of risk into your budget, as there is always a possibility that things may go wrong, and your implementation could take longer and cost more than you had originally anticipated.
At Threadgold Consulting, we tailor your implementation to fit your business needs. For clients with a lower budget, we can offer a rapid implementation method. This means we can rapidly deploy the software by using prebuilt functions and avoiding time consuming customisations. This means that we can get your business up and running on NetSuite as quickly as possible, reducing costs whilst ensuring you still have everything you need to run your business effectively.
Overall, by following these best practices for planning your NetSuite implementation, you can help ensure a successful rollout that meets your business needs and goals.
The NetSuite Implementation Process
The implementation of NetSuite is a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. The process involves several phases, each of which is critical for ensuring a successful implementation. We will now take a closer look at each phase and what it entails.
Project Kickoff and Discovery
The first phase of the implementation process involves project kickoff and discovery. This is where the project team meets with stakeholders to discuss the project scope, timeline, and requirements. It is important to engage stakeholders and ensure everyone is aligned on the implementation goals and requirements.
During this phase, the project team will conduct a detailed analysis of your business needs and requirements. This includes identifying pain points and areas where NetSuite can help streamline processes and improve efficiency. The team will also define the project scope, timeline, and budget.
Data Migration and Integration
The second phase involves migrating your data to NetSuite and integrating the system with other tools and applications your business uses. Data migration can be a complex process, and it's important to ensure data is accurate and properly formatted. Integration also requires careful planning and testing to ensure systems communicate effectively.
The project team will work with you to identify the data that needs to be migrated and develop a plan for migrating the data. This includes mapping data fields, cleaning up data, and ensuring data integrity. It is important to note that the quantity of data you decide to transfer over will have a significant impact on your overall implementation cost. It is often advised to transfer as little data as possible, and to particularly avoid transferring over historical data. Choosing to transfer all of your historical data can double, or even triple, your implementation costs, so you can see why it is best to leave that behind with your old system!
The team will also work on integrating NetSuite with other tools and applications your business uses, such as CRM software or e-commerce platforms. Oracle are currently rolling out a new data integration function called NetSuite Connector, which makes the process of integrating these tools much easier and quicker.
System Configuration and Customisation
During the configuration and customisation phase, your NetSuite partner will work with you to tailor the system to your specific business needs. The project team will identify your business processes that need to be supported by NetSuite, and will configure the system accordingly. This phase can often be fairly time consuming, as the team will have to create custom built configurations from scratch and ensure they work effectively.
User Training and Testing
Once all data is migrated, and customisations complete, the user training and testing phase will commence. Your NetSuite partner will train users on the new system and answer any questions or queries that users have. The project team will develop a training plan that is tailored to your business needs and accommodates different learning styles. Training can be conducted in a variety of formats, such as classroom training, online training, or one-on-one coaching.
The team will also conduct thorough testing to identify and resolve any issues before go-live. Testing should involve both real data and simulated scenarios, and should involve a cross-section of users to ensure all scenarios are covered. They will identify any problems and resolve them before go-live.
Go-Live and Post-Implementation Support
The final phase involves going live with the new system and providing ongoing post-implementation support. The project team will work with you to develop a plan for going live with the new system. This includes ensuring that all users are trained and ready to use the system, and that any issues are addressed before go-live. After go-live, the team will provide ongoing post-implementation support, which can include ongoing system maintenance, customisation, and training.
In conclusion, the NetSuite implementation process is a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. Each phase is critical for ensuring a successful implementation, and it's important to work with a NetSuite partner who has experience in implementing the system.
Final Thoughts
Implementing NetSuite can be a complex process, but with the right preparation and guidance, and the right partner, it can provide significant benefits to your business. By understanding the key components of NetSuite, setting clear implementation goals, assembling the right team, and following a proven implementation process, you can ensure a successful implementation and a more streamlined and efficient business.
