Don’t You Want to Do NetSuite Implementation Smarter?

Sadly, one common outcome of NetSuite implementation is a company that has spent a good deal of time and money on the necessary work, but still struggles with using new features to make meaningful change within their business. NetSuite implementation is a difficult prospect for any company, and serious considerations need to be taken throughout the process, such as understanding return on investment, or simply knowing which person or team will be responsible for handling the transition.

Because there are so many ways for NetSuite implementation to go wrong, we thought we should outline our four best tips for smoothing the process out as much as possible.

Discover what your company needs

Not every business is the same—software companies need to understand compliance with ASC 606 revenue recognition rules, or professional services need services resource planning (SRP)—so it’s important to remember that NetSuite can’t just be turned on and expected to create results.

The implementation needs to consider specific business needs, and the team responsible needs to keep them in mind at all times. For many businesses, this means holding off on the actual roll-out so that the implementation team can outline all the business needs in full. That due diligence early on will create a more finely-tuned end result, so don’t feel rushed, even if the process takes months to finalize.

Put everything in writing

Businesses should expect to create a rather large Business Requirement Document that serves as a blueprint for implementation. It outlines the company’s needs, how NetSuite would solve various pain points, and examine the technical hurdles. It’s a good idea to create a formal document that outlines all the implementation steps—think of it like a very large, controlled to-do list for the entire project.

After years of rescuing businesses that are struggling through their NetSuite implementation, or have already failed and want to try again, we at Bi101 have found that these first two steps—discovery and planning—are where most projects go wrong. If the needs aren’t outlined clearly from the beginning, the end result certainly isn’t going to be satisfying.

These phases can take hundreds of hours to completely flesh out, but are certainly worth it in the end.

Success comes from top-down

A NetSuite implementation works best when the project team has strong leadership and positive reinforcement. Because the implementation project happens out of sight until it’s finished, it’s easy for this team to lose vision or get stuck in lengthy delays.

NetSuite implementation doesn’t just happen overnight—it needs to be lead by strong leaders, preferably someone respected and trusted from the company’s C-suite. This leader will serve as a focal point to keep individual members motivated and focused on the right path.

Maybe more importantly, this executive leader can help lead the organizational change necessary to make any NetSuite implementation a success. Because the entire company needs to re-consider their processes, individuals need to feel as though they have support from their higher-ups to think differently. A respected leader will generate the buzz necessary to ensure that every key player is fully onboard.

Find a NetSuite implementation partner

Of course, there are far more many pain points and potential missteps in the NetSuite implementation process, from migration, to integration, and more. But this shouldn’t scare you off from trying to bring NetSuite to your organization—the potential successes, efficiencies, and improvements to profitability are far too great to ignore.

Perhaps the best way to make each of these steps easier to manage is by working with a professional implementation team that can support not only that leader, but also every individual on the team. Here at Bi101, we’ve helped countless companies through this process of using NetSuite to improve and streamline their processes, and we’ve seen it all.

One way to get started is with a 14-day NetSuite trial, to help you understand how NetSuite looks and functions. From there, we can work together to start outlining your specific business’ needs, and finding the right people within your organization to make the roll-out possible.