Implementing NetSuite

Preparing for a future NetSuite Implementation? You've come to the right place! And you are right to do some individual research about NetSuite and its partner vendors before getting started; ERP implementation projects are notoriously tricky to get right. 60 percent of all ERP installations outright fail. 80 percent of buyers are dissatisfied with their initial NetSuite installation.

In preparation for an NetSuite implementation, you'll want to be aware of what your application has to offer your organization and clients. It's vital to understand how customizations will improve productivity and reduce upkeep costs. Customizations can impact| both prices and productivity. Recognizing} your application's primary use cases and determining the appropriate customization strategy is critical for NetSuite success.

The very first step in the NetSuite implementation process| is defining your functional and operational gaps and business requirements. Functional gaps refer to functionality that isn't inherent in the software application, but is required by other applications. Many applications require at least a minimal amount of functionality to perform their own functions, and many require functionality across multiple software applications’ components. These operational gaps will dictate the amount of customization that is necessary to cover all these requirements.

Once functional gaps have been determined, your NetSuite implementation team will begin evaluating the software to identify areas that need customization. While many software applications will require minimal customization, others will need significant customization to support their business requirements. When in doubt, hire an experienced consultant to conduct an in-depth evaluation and analysis of your NetSuite implementation. Most professional services will be more than happy to assist you determine the scope of your NetSuite implementation and provide you with comprehensive recommendations.

Once the NetSuite implementation team has conducted an evaluation and analyzed the scope of your requirements, it's time to select the application developers who will work on your project. Although some organizations opt to  go live with the application internally, many elect to hire external application development partners. External partners provide a large number of advantages, including access to the latest industry and application tools, use of test labs, access to post-sale support, and also access into the application's API. While it's possible for internal teams to go live with the application and then need to change developers later, it's a much longer process than when going live with outside partners. It's crucial to ensure that your NetSuite implementation team chooses application developers who have the experience and tools necessary to successfully complete the project from beginning to end.

When you have chosen which application development company that you wish to go live with, the NetSuite team will now begin the process of customizing the application for your company. Customizations are generally divided into functional and non-functional. Functional modifications will  include such things as modules that make it easier to manage your business processes and procedures, such as sales, accounting, order processing, etc. Non-functional customizations will include things like additional displays, additional fields, or perhaps a user interface (or dashboard) that makes it a lot easier to perform common business functions.

After customizing the application, the NetSuite implementation team will begin testing and analyzing the software. Testing plays an important role in the software's effectiveness, because if the application doesn't get the job done well it can be extremely costly to roll back changes. This makes it essential for your team to test the application extensively during both the developmental and testing stages. Throughout the testing stage, the developers will verify that features of the application work as intended. They will also confirm that all the business processes are functioning as expected and will verify that any customizations make sense and work as they were designed to do the job.

In the event you need NetSuite implemented, there are several alternatives available. Many companies decide to buy NetSuite from outside sources. While this is typically a good idea, it can become quite expensive as a result of the time that it takes for outside vendors to integrate NetSuite  internally before they are able to sell it to end users. The other option is to hire a professional services company to manage the implementation for you. Hiring a professional services group may be helpful because these groups have years of experience implementing software like this and are familiar with the technical issues that must be resolved before the applications can be released.