Brought to you by NewGen, a customer-centric ERP consulting group with over 25-years of experience
Brought to you by NewGen, a customer-centric ERP consulting group with over 25-years of experience
Thinking about a move to NetSuite? Your NetSuite implementation lays the bed-rock for your system and business. Being educated here will make a big difference.
That’s why we wrote this beginners guide. It introduces you to the common processes and important considerations to help with a successful NetSuite implementation.
Grab a notebook.
We’ll be covering:
Introducing a new ERP system to a business will always come with challenges. But getting the implementation process right is far from impossible.
With the right planning and buy-in, you can avoid the bulk of business system issues.
Not to scare you (we’ve got your back!) but here’s what you’re up against:
But, some big items you don’t have to worry about with a NetSuite implementation process, like:
We will go into the actual steps of the NetSuite implementation methodology. The implementation services themselves are best done by an experienced ERP implementation consultant.
As a business choosing to implement NetSuite, your team should focus on the following:
Why are you looking at an ERP change? What business processes do you want to affect?
You don’t need to write up a project plan if you prefer not to but consider requirements planning with your company.
Businesses should have these conversations both with and without the NetSuite implementation consultant. A quality NetSuite consultant will prepare a written project plan that reflects your business process.
Include all end-users that perform business processes to the table.
End users that feel like they have a stake in the process help ensure a company-wide successful NetSuite implementation.
Does your partner understand your business needs? Is the NetSuite solution they’re suggesting built for your vertical?
NetSuite is an extremely configurable platform, specialized partners and their solutions should be sought out to best align with your business requirements.
Do you need everything now?
NetSuite has a lot of pretty features for businesses. Some of the most successful implementations adopt it piecemeal.
Who is driving in your company?
A project plan for how your organization will adopt the NetSuite platform is important to consider.
An implementation partner will know NetSuite inside and out but overall business success starts internally.
Have a main contact and project manager.
A quality solution provider is a pro at this and can install and train as fast as you can listen.
Have a project leader who wrangles the internal team. It will pay dividends and we promise they won’t have to abandon their day job.
The 5 Step NetSuite Implementation Guide above is for a simple case.
A NetSuite implementation partner will have something more robust for your requirements.
Your company may have considerations that can increase or decrease implementation time.
Consider:
It is wise to keep the initial NetSuite implementation as simple as can be.
You can always import more legacy data after go-live. Or add features and customizations once you’re comfortable on the platform.
Waiting also allows you to better define what exactly you need. It is hard to know what your requirements may be without being in NetSuite day-to-day.
In our experience, it takes 3 months to implement NetSuite.
There are some caveats:
If you can answer “yes” to any of these we have had experience doing implementations in as little as 30 days.
The truth is most high-quality NetSuite partners can get organizations live quicker. Much of the NetSuite implementation timeline depends on how long the organization wants to take.
Rapid go-lives are possible but you need to:
Let us know if you want to talk about this type of NetSuite implementation.
The NetSuite platform has a lot of modules to cover almost any need.
Including:
Depending on business requirements these will add time to your ERP project.
📝 Related Articles
NetSuite eCommerce (SuiteCommerce): A Complete Overview [Updated for 2021!]
You’re smart. You know your business. You got Quickbooks running.
Self implementation is not impossible but it is also not recommended.
NetSuite is a powerful package. Configuration choices you make upfront impact you for the life of your usage. Missteps in the core set up can be costly and sometimes near impossible to correct.
That should be a primary takeaway from this article.
NetSuite automation can supercharge and transform your business. But that all lies in the implementation.
Triple check your plan and discuss with a third party before telling your boss that you can handle the install.
NetSuite is an incredible product and company (disclaimer: the author worked there).
But, their implementation team (often called “NetSuite direct”) isn’t the best choice for all business needs.
Why? Make sure of a few things before choosing direct.
Maybe you’re already evaluating NetSuite with NetSuite direct. You can still do the NetSuite implementation with a partner.
It never hurts to have a conversation about your company.
You make, sell, or provide something.
Your competition makes, sells, or provides something similar but you’re different.
You:
That’s what a NetSuite implementation partner is. NetSuite partners provide the best of all worlds.
They:
Partners are smaller organizations that differentiate with hard work, strong understanding, and the formation of long-term partnerships. Like you.
Good partners are also willing to have a conversation anytime. Gratís.
Garbage in, garbage out. A change in ERP systems is a good opportunity to “spring clean”. Dedupe customer masters, prune old vendors and remove old items before data migration. You know your company data best so your partner will rely on you to do most of this. Still don’t be afraid to ask for help, advice, best practices, and ensure your solution provider has a thorough data migration strategy.
Keep an open mind with a new system. The old legacy system way isn’t always the best. NetSuite works best when used in certain ways. A good partner will know how to merge the gap between best practice and your unique business processes.
It’s hard work to get a new system going. Easy things aren’t worth doing. Don’t wash your hard work down the drain by either not attending or not paying attention to training. Use the system and adhere to the training plan. Training usually comes towards the end of implementation so fatigue is a risk. Don’t let it tempt you.
A good partner will always document your processes as you use the system. Own the process with the partner to ensure they are complete and accurate. Quality documentation will pay dividends well beyond the implementation project. Especially when it comes to onboarding new team members or when you have questions about business process.
NetSuite is the partner’s job. They like NetSuite and they like helping people be successful on NetSuite. Be invested. Ask questions. Questions and investment from you make things more enjoyable for all parties.
As a NetSuite partner for over 15 years, NewGen is a NetSuite partner that is ready to help you with the full scope of your NetSuite implementation needs.
From NetSuite evaluation to implementation, custom SuiteScripting and coding, business process, and optimization – NewGen is your one-stop-shop for NetSuite support and consulting services.
With a reputation built on forging strong customer relationships, we aim to be the go-to subject matter experts for the long haul.
We have an entirely on-shore customer support team consisting of business analysts, developers, and CPAs, we have the in-house expertise needed to take your organization from “How do we do that?” to “What’s next?”. We help you maximize the value of your NetSuite system.
We’re easy to engage for any project with no long-term support agreements required. Use the forms around our website or – reach out if you’re ready to have a conversation about how we can help you!
Reach out and let us show you all the ways NewGen is committed to your success.