N&N Moving Supplies worked with a NetSuite partner to successfully implement an ERP system that decreased the payroll processing time by 84%. This case study by NetSuite shows that a third-party partner can be helpful in customizing the NetSuite ERP system to precisely fit your company’s needs. However, it requires a strategic collaboration between the company and the NetSuite customization experts and the process begins even before approaching them.
The Critical First Step: Defining Your “Why”
Before you start researching the NetSuite customization experts you want to work with, you should be absolutely clear about your objectives. To do that, you need to ask yourself these questions: Why are you considering customizing NetSuite in the first place? Is it to reduce the number of people required to carry out the process, is it to get data insights, is it to overcome a specific challenge that is creating a bottleneck for the rest of the processes, or is it to overtake your competitors?
Defining Measurable Outcomes
You need to know the outcome you expect from this investment in the form of numbers. For example, are you anticipating a 15% reduction in order fulfillment time? Do you want a 10% increase in lead conversion rates? Or are you trying to reduce the data entry errors by 20%? Defining these measurable goals can help you assess the ROI of the project down the line accurately.
Choosing the Right NetSuite Customization Experts
Select a partner who has succeeded in customizing their previous projects and has received positive reviews from their clients. They should be technically experienced in areas such as SuiteScript, SuiteFlow, and SuiteBuilder. Plus, they should have experience working with businesses in industries similar to yours.
Apart from technical skills, the partner should prioritize communication and collaboration. Don’t hesitate to ask for references and review their case studies that show the ROI they’ve delivered for other clients.
Communicating Clearly
From the initial consultation itself, make sure you clearly convey your objectives and the expected outcomes. For example, instead of saying “We want to improve our sales process,” be specific and say, “Our objective is to increase qualified leads by 15% within the next quarter.” In addition to communicating clearly, you also need to communicate regularly. This means you can set up weekly progress meetings, for example, a 30-minute call every Monday morning. You can also decide your preferred methods for communication, for example, email for non-urgent questions and a dedicated Slack channel for quicker clarifications.
Providing Detailed Requirements and Documentation
Provide the NetSuite customization experts with detailed documentation about your current processes, desired workflows, data specifications, and user stories. The more detail you provide, the better they can understand how big the project is, how much time it will take, and how complex the customizations will be.
Being Actively Involved and Giving Feedback
Your team needs to be actively involved throughout the customization process. During the requirements gathering phase, instead of saying “reporting is slow,” show your partner the exact reports you struggle with and the data points that are difficult to access. During design reviews, instead of just looking at the mockups and approving them, discuss how the changes they have proposed will affect your daily tasks.
Ensuring Alignment with ROI Goals through Iteration and Testing
NetSuite customization does not take place in one shot. It goes through many iterations until the result aligns with your goal. And for this to happen, there have to be clear feedback loops with the experts.
Thorough testing is also just as important. The best way is to involve your end-users in the user acceptance testing (UAT). Take their feedback on whether the customized solution works properly or not and if it improves their processes. The final version should be ready to help you attain a positive ROI.
Measuring Success and ROI
Remember those quantifiable metrics you defined in the beginning? Now it’s time to track and measure the actual impact the customizations have on these key performance indicators (KPIs). Did you achieve that 15% reduction in order fulfillment time? Did your lead conversion rates increase by the targeted 10%? If your collaboration was effective, you should be able to see the improved numbers which means your ROI has also improved.
Conclusion
By defining your business objectives and expected outcomes before sitting down with the NetSuite customization experts, you can have a successful project that improves your ROI. Make sure you choose your experts wisely, communicate clearly, and participate actively. Start defining your “why” today and pave the way for successful and profitable NetSuite customizations.
FAQs
What kind of measurable outcomes should we define for our NetSuite customization project?
You need to think about specific numbers and percentages related to the KPIs you want to improve. These could be reduced processing time, increased conversion rates, decreased errors, or the amount of time saved.
What kind of feedback is most helpful for NetSuite Customization Experts?
You need to provide specific and constructive feedback which are based on real-world scenarios and testing. Instead of vague statements, you should tell the experts exactly what works, what doesn’t, and give them detailed examples to explain your points.
How often should we communicate with our NetSuite Customization Experts?
It’s helpful to create a regular communication schedule such as weekly progress meetings. Also decide which communication channels will be used for different types of inquiries, for example, email for non-urgent, and Slack for quick questions.
What if we don’t see the expected ROI immediately after the NetSuite customization is complete?
It takes time for the ROI to improve. In the meantime, you should continue to track your KPIs and work with the experts if any post-implementation adjustments and optimizations are necessary.
